France's Wemby on Olympics: ''Anything but gold would be a failure''

SAN ANTONIO (USA) - Maybe it was precociousness. Could it have been bluster? Or was Victor Wembanyama just being honest, and calling it like he sees it?

Just as his amazing talent has made the entire world sit up and take notice, one of the brightest rising stars in the world and the prized pupil of San Antonio's legendary coach Gregg Popovich has made everyone gasp with his latest remarks about France's upcoming Olympic campaign.

"Any other result than first place would be a failure," he said in Le Monde.

"You shouldn't have any regrets but it's a very achievable goal."

It's a quote that had everyone making a double-take. Did he really say that? Should he have said that?

The USA have, after all, won every gold medal since the 2008 Beijing Games. France have never reached the top of the podium at the Olympics.

"ANY OTHER RESULT THAN FIRST PLACE WOULD BE A FAILURE "

As a once-in-a-generation kind of talent, Wembanyama won't be told by anyone to keep a lid on his thoughts and expectations.

When he played with Les Bleus in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 European Qualifiers, he was nothing short of spectacular, averaging 19.0 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.8 blocks (+14.8 +/- overall) in four games - all of them wins. This was in November 2022 and February 2023 and he has improved a lot since.

The Men’s Olympic Basketball Tournament Paris 2024 is set to be maybe the most competitive event ever, yet this is Wembanyama, an out-of-this-world talent that France believes in 100 percent. No one will fault the 20-year-old for being honest.

It's not going to be easy for France to claim gold, however. And he knows it.
 

"We have, potentially, a tricky group," Wembanyama said.

France are in Group B with 2023 World Cup winners Germany, high-octane Japan and the team that wins the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Riga, where Latvia are favorites. Latvia upset France at the World Cup and killed their hopes of reaching the Quarter-Finals.

Without Wembanyama a few years ago in Tokyo, however, France did beat USA in their opening game and almost did so again in the Gold Medal Game.

If they progress to the Quarter-Finals this summer on home soil with a top-two finish, or as one of the best third-placed teams among the three groups, there will be three more extremely difficult victories to claim if France are to win gold.

Latvia could prove to be another hurdle for France to clear 

"But these are the Olympics," he said. "If we want to go far, we will inevitably have to play against the big guys."

Wembanyama, at the start of a promising career, knows he has an opportunity to achieve incredible things that others can only dream about.

"I have an idea of ​​the mark I want to leave," he said. "I want to make history with big goals and soon with big achievements."

FIBA