Member Associations | 7 Sep 2010

2010 LIEBHERR EC: Christophe LEGOUT and young musketeers

07/09/2010 – French men’s line up for the 2010 LIEBHERR European championships in Ostrava is the same as it was for World Championships in Moscow, but in women’s team, leader YIAN Yi Fang is still absent. In Men’s Teams Event in Gr

07/09/2010 – French men’s line up for the 2010 LIEBHERR European championships in Ostrava is the same as it was for World Championships in Moscow, but in women’s team, leader YIAN Yi Fang is still absent.

In Men’s Teams Event in Group stages France will play against Romania, Belarus and Spain. “Our group is homogeneous. Belarus is a favorite with Vladimir SAMSONOV, who has proved he is in great shape. That team is regularly in the last four. Romania and Spain will be easier to beat: they will have to fight hard to reach the quarter-finals. On the other side the French team is still inexperienced. In Moscow, players were performed well, but we still suffered from lack of consistency,” said Stephane HUCLIEZ head coach of men’s team.

Girls will meet adversaries from Poland, Spain and Slovakia in the first stage of the Team’s Event. “It will be very difficult to play against Poland and Spain. They are big favorites for the medal rostrum. Both teams have the same profile: a strong leader and two girls who are very strong behind. Poland’s LI Qian, XU Jie and PARTYKA line up a very strong team which reached the quarterfinals of the last World Championships. SHEN Yanfei will play for the first time for Spain, she returned in great shape after pregnancy. She won the Open in South Korea in addition. Without Eva ODOROVA Slovakia will have little chances to reach the quarters,” explained Rozenn JACQUET-YQUEL.

French men’s team: Christophe LEGOUT (Istres Ouest Provence, no. 55 at wr), Adrien MATTENET (AS Pontoise-Cergy, no. 89), Emmanuel LEBESSON (Levallois SCTT, no. 134), Abdel-Kader SALIFOU (EP Isseenne, no. 154) – Simon GAUZY (Levallois SCTT, no. 295). Head coach: Stephane HUCLIEZ

French women’s team: Carole GRUNDISCH (US Kremlin Bicetre, no. 82), Audrey MATTENET (ALCL TT Grand Quevilly, no. 192), Aurore DESSAINT (TT Saint-Quentin, no. 242), Laura GASNIER (Mayenne CA, no. 268).
Head coach: Rozenn JACQUET-YQUEL

(by Hubert GUERIAU, courtesy of FFTT)

Click here for more information about 2010 LIEBHERR European Championships

Photo: Christophe LEGOUT (courtesy ITTF)