Gruda: "We want to achieve something great"
RIO DE JANEIRO (Rio 2016 Olympic Games) - Sandrine Gruda is set to become a two-time Olympian at the Rio Olympics and all she really hopes for is to fill out her trophy cabinet with another Olympic medal.
Les Bleues, who were silver medalists at London 2012, are looking to achieve more great things in Rio.
Les Bleues sont arrivées au village olympique. Les Jeux de Rio approchent... #RT pour les encourager #MissionRio pic.twitter.com/8EnxOzPPpE
— Equipe France Basket (@FRABasketball) August 2, 2016
The question is, what medal will the 29-year-old and her team-mates come away with from Rio. The 1.93m power forward talked to FIBA.com to explain.
FIBA.com: France claimed a silver medal at the Olympics four years ago. Is this team capable of replicating that feat or doing even better here in Rio?
Gruda: This is a different group from the team that played in London. We want to achieve something great in Rio. We came to Rio to compete and go as far as we can in the competition. By accomplishing something great, I mean win. And of course earning a medal would be even better.
FIBA.com: You mentioned that this is a different team, but some of the younger players seem to be very well integrated within the group.
Gruda: Yes they bring freshness, fresh legs and a desire to win, which is good for us. This is a good mix of veterans and young players who have their own personalities on and off the court.
FIBA.com: France qualified for Rio after winning all three games at the 2016 FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament. Then, in the build-up to Rio, the team beat Brazil but lost all three games in the USA last week. Is this in any way indicative of some sort of inconsistency?
Gruda: We are not quite where we want to be. We still have work to do, but we can fix those little details along the way in the competition. Sometimes when you win all the time, you think that you are unbeatable, and you are not. You can’t see your weaknesses. Those losses can affect the team in a good way because we can see our weaknesses. We look at those losses as good lessons and we’re learning from them.
FIBA.com: How are you personally gearing up for your second Olympic appearance?
Gruda: The best that she can bring to the table. The medal can be achieved by the team, not only by Sandrine Gruda. But I think that the team is prepared to give everything that we can to succeed in Rio.
FIBA
