France keep Collet, Garnier at helm of national teams through Tokyo Olympics
07/05/2020
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France keep Collet, Garnier at helm of national teams through Tokyo Olympics

PARIS (France) - France have announced that Vincent Collet and Valerie Garnier will remain in charge of the men's and women's national teams, respectively, until the end of the Tokyo Olympics.

The two were supposed to lead the French teams at the Summer Games this year but the Olympics were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and will now be staged from July 23 to August 8, 2021.

Both coaches will start to work in a full-time capacity as national team coaches in June.

The French Basketball Federation has also revealed that former national team point guard Celine Dumerc, the most capped player in women's national team history with 262 appearances, is to become the new general manager of the women's side.

Dumerc will continue to play for Basket Landes in the French top flight next season but will eventually take up her role with France.

 Dumerc led France to a silver medal and was the top player of the 2012 Olympic women's tournament

Patrick Beesley is to continue as general manager of the French men's side and long-time national team star Boris Diaw will stay in his post as deputy general manager.

France's men clinched a place in the Olympic tournament at the FIBA Basketball World Cup, as one of the two highest-ranked finishes for European teams in the competition. Collet's team ended up beating Australia in the Third-Place Game.

He has coached France since 2009, leading the national team to its maiden FIBA EuroBasket 2013 title and podium finishes in 2011 and 2015. 

In February, Garnier steered France to three wins in as many games at the FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Bourges to clinch a spot in the Tokyo Games. She has been at the helm of the national team since 2014.

Garnier has led France to three consecutive FIBA Women's EuroBasket runner-up finishes in 2015, 2017 and 2019 as head coach.

FIBA