Silver medal for France at the 2023 European Mixed Team Badminton Championships !
It is during this championship (more commonly known as EMTC) that the French obtained the silver medal after impressive matches !
During 5 days, from 14 to 18 February 2023, the French badminton team, composed among others of the POPOV brothers, the mixed doubles GICQUEL/DELRUE or the women's duo LAMBERT/TRAN, gave their all to win the gold medal in the town of Aire-sur-La-Lys in Pas-de-Calais, France.
The 7 other best European teams also tried their best to win the title: we found the team from Germany, England, Bulgaria, Scotland, the Netherlands, Ukraine and finally Denmark, winner for the second time of this championship.
Indeed :
It was in the final against France that the Danish team (3-2) retained its title for the 2023 European Mixed Team Badminton Championship after the 2021 edition, thanks to the victory in the men's singles of Viktor AXELSEN, number 1 in the world, over Frenchman Christo POPOV who fought remarkably well with 2 sets to 1 in 1h12 of play (15-21, 22-20, 21-14).
Similarly, despite the victory of the mixed doubles well known in the world ranking since in 5th place and winner of our 2019 edition, Thom GICQUEL/Delphine DELRUE, in 2 sets against Mathias CHRISTIANSEN and Amalie MAGELUND (21-1/24-22), this will not have offered France the opportunity to seize the gold medal.
Detailed results for the French team in the final :
◾ Women's singles: QI XUEFEI lost to Line CHRISTOPHERSEN from Denmark in 2 sets (12/21 11/21)
◾ Men's Doubles: Thom GICQUEL and Thomas Junior POPOV win together their match against the Danish duo ASTRUP/SOGAARD with 2 sets (21-19/21-19).
◾ Women's Doubles: the duo DELRUE/LAMBERT unfortunately had to leave their place to the Danish FRUERGAARD/THYGESEN, a place that was well defended in the first set but that did not turn in their favour in the last 2 (21-17/15-21/14-21).