“A great pride to be a flag bearer”

2023-06-19 15:00:53

Marie Mané, member of the French women’s 3×3 basketball team, talks regarding her pride in having been named France’s flag bearer at the European Games (June 21-July 2).

How did you feel when you learned that you would be the flag bearer of the European Games with Jean-Charles Valladont?

It is an immense pride to be able to be the flag bearer of the French delegation one year from the Games. We are 270 in this delegation, so it’s really an honor to have been elected and to be alongside Jean-Charles Valladont, who is an immense champion. It is doubly a source of pride because he is someone who has already taken part in the Olympic Games several times and who was notably a silver medalist in Rio. I hope to be able to learn a little more thanks to him and thanks to his experience.

Is being the flag bearer of the European Games a way to honor 3×3?

Yes, I think it’s a way to highlight the 3×3. It is true that it is a nascent discipline. It will only be the second time that the 3×3 will be at the Olympic Games in Paris. It’s an added pride for me to be an ambassador for 3×3 during these European Games. The European Games can be a great showcase for our discipline. The girls are defending champions of the European Games, so we will try to repeat this performance.

“Being a flag bearer is a pledge of confidence for which I am very grateful”

Did you imagine being named flag bearer?

Honestly no. My trainer, Yann Julien had informed me that he had given my name to the CNOSF to be one of the nominees and potentially be the flag bearer of the French delegation during the European Games. I admit that I didn’t believe it at all because in view of the athletes who will participate, there are still athletes who are very renowned in the world of sport. That’s why I’m very, very proud of it. I’m just repeating it, but it’s real precisely because I was named flag bearer when there were athletes who, potentially in terms of awards, would have more deserved this role. SO. So, it’s really that something was seen in me, that I didn’t see myself. It is a pledge of confidence for which I am very grateful.

You are defending the title obtained in 2019. What is your state of mind?

Top European nations will be present. We will really want to perform, like the European Championships. Our goal this summer is to win as many competitions as possible to score the most points, whether it’s the European championships or not. Whatever happens, our goal remains the same, to win a medal.

How important is this competition? What would a potential final victory at the European Games bring you?

These European Games are clearly important for qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. However, for us, it is a competition that does not bring in a lot of points. It remains a prestigious competition and inevitably, we will play it to win it. Although it does not necessarily earn points, reporting it sends a strong message. It’s really good for the confidence to be able to win this type of competition because the level will be raised despite the low number of points it brings to the ranking. We know it won’t be easy, but we’ll give everything to reach our goal.

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