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LEPRON Florence
Tarbes Player
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18 Sep 2009
European Champion with the French National Team |
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 Everybody is talking about an accomplishment regarding the French National team result at the Eurobasket in Latvia, but for you it's just a routine: U16 European champion in 2001, Vice-champion with the junior in 2002, Bronze medal in the World championship in 2003, U20 European Champion in 2005...
(laughing) It's true that I've always been lucky to be part of teams who win and I always have good memories with the National team. But being a Champion with the Senior National team is another dimension! I'm really enjoying it.
More seriously, is it proving that the French basketball school is a good one, or this victory is just a good alchemy of the players and the staff?
Our victory is the combination of both things: our great cohesion and the competence of the staff.
It was a good end for you but everything could have been different since you are reaching the Semi-finals by defeating Greece just by few points...
Yes everything can change radically in a short span. Quarter-finals are very special, it's THE game because it can drive you to the top or break your dreams. This game was very tough in terms of emotion and we were so close to lose it! It would have been so crazy to lose it after we won every game in the first round.
We found you as a Clutch player as you scored the three-pointer which definitely sealed the game although three-pointers are not your speciality. What did you feel when you took this shot?
Cathy's pass was absolutely perfect and I made the shot, it's the proof that miracle can happen!! I would have never scored this shot in another team, I feel my teammate helped me and we all scored it together. And it's also thanks to the coach because with him we know what we have to do on the court. Before we started the offense, we knew how the Greek would defend so I just told to myself "I have to take it".
Did you, the team, had any doubts during the competition? When did you start to believe in your chance?
When we arrived to the Eurobasket, we didn't have a lot of background and we didn't know our level. We played game after game without any objective. So I think this kind of way to play the competition helped us not to have any fear and not to ask too many questions. We were serene.
Being on the roof of Europe is the main thing but now everybody will expect a lot from you. In your opinion, are you able to improve as a team?
Everybody around us is talking about World Championship or Olympic games but we are just enjoying this tiltle for the moment and don't even think about the future. Let us enjoy it! Everybody think that because you won the Eurobasket, you have a great future but it's not as easy. So, yes, we have a good potential but in Sports there is no certainty. |
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