FRA - 'Surfing the wave'

PARIS (EuroBasket Women/FIBA World Championship for Women) - One might think that for the French women’s national team, it can’t get any better.

In 2009, Les Bleues captured a gold medal at the EuroBasket in Riga.

After a sixth-place finish at the 2010 World Championship in the Czech Republic, France snatched a bronze at EuroBasket 2011 in Poland.

This past summer, France met their aim of claiming a berth at the London Games via the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Women (OQTW) in Ankara and then marched to the Final of the Olympics where a heavily-favored United States beat them.

Gold had been the medal of choice, but for a national side that seemed to hit rock bottom at the EuroBasket in Chieti six years ago with an eighth-place finish that kept them out of the OQTW in Madrid, finishing second best to the true superpowers in the women’s game, the Americans, was a huge accomplishment.

“We've been on a cloud since winning a medal and we've been surfing this wave,” France coach Pierre Vincent said.

“We have an opportunity to experience this in front of our crowd.

“Our status is favorites, and we'll have to assume this if we want to win and truly show that we are favorites regardless of the draw. “We will have to win game after game and be ready at the time.

“We will be working on having continuity, with the idea of preparing for the Olympic Games in Rio in 2016.”

Things can get better for France, though.

Vincent’s team will be the hosts of next year’s EuroBasket in France and the players can use the summer as a sort of victory tour.

At last week’s draw, France discovered they will take on Serbia, Latvia and Great Britain in the initial group stage.

The mission will not only be to win a gold on home soil, as they did in 2001, but to also book a place in next year’s FIBA World Championship in Turkey.

"For the European Championship 2013 in France, we have been drawn in a group that initially appears manageable,” Vincent said.

“Serbia and Latvia are two very good teams.

“We beat Britain (at the London Games) even though it was difficult.”

Celine Dumerc hit a long three-pointer at the overtime buzzer for France to beat the Brits.

“But that was yesterday and yesterday has gone,” Vincent said.

“In any case, it will be difficult and we don't know what state we'll be in when the time comes.

“But one thing is certain, that they will be waiting for us.”

FIBA