They look like shy high school students, but they are among the world’s best. The Lebrun brothers have triggered a table tennis hysteria in France.
Special technique: Félix Lebrun.
Anna Szilagyi / EPA
When Lebrun-mania reached its temporary peak, Félix threw his racket on the ground, jumped into the arms of his trainer and pointed his finger at the floor of exhibition hall 4 in Porte de Versailles: This is his place, his stage. The crowd went wild, they couldn’t get enough of this dramatic quarter-final victory in the Olympic table tennis tournament. Loaded with a black backpack and a white bag, he had to do several laps of honour.
Afterwards, coach Nathanaël Molin told the NZZ: “There is something special about him. You can feel it. I can feel it. Everyone can feel it.”
Favorites of football stars
Molin is referring to the charisma of the 17-year-old, who will play for bronze in the men’s singles on Sunday and will compete in the team competition next week with his older brother Alexis, 20, among others. Both Lebruns together – the hysteria surrounding the talented young stars, who at first glance do not look like top athletes with their black glasses, is likely to reach a new level. Félix, fifth in the world rankings and the third youngest top ten player in history, and Alexis, number 16, have that rare sporting gift of drawing observers into their adventures, into their joys, their sorrows, into every one of their points.
This has put them in the pantheon of omnipresent French people at these games. Last week they were shown on TV in a loop almost as often as the swimmer Léon Marchand, the judoka Teddy Riner or the rugby player Antoine Dupont. During their matches, football idol Zinédine Zidane stopped by the hall, Antoine Griezmann asked about the exact meaning of Alexis’ screams and even they reached for their smartphones in the American basketball dream team: Tyrese Haliburton finds them “electric”.
What does Alexis Lebrun say after each point?
Essay ?
Eussai !?
Enough ?
😅😄
He is too strong !— Antoine Griezmann (@AntoGriezmann) July 29, 2024
Coach Molin says that the most special thing about Félix Lebrun is his character – how he managed to focus on his game at his age amidst all this madness: “He was born a champion.” But he also has his own style. Félix – Alexis does not – uses the penholder grip, where the racket is held like a pen. As a four-year-old, he learned this technique from a Chinese player in his hometown of Montpellier. Traditionally, only Asians play with it, and now hardly ever do so because the backhand is considered more demanding. Of all the 172 athletes in Hall 4, only 6 use the penholder grip.
The Chinese are wavering
The Lebruns come from a table tennis dynasty, their uncle has been to the Olympic Games three times. Now they are part of a rare attack on the dominant Chinese. The Swede Truls Möregardh, number 26 in the world, sensationally eliminated the number one, Wang Chuqin, and on Sunday will be the first European since his compatriot Jan-Ove Waldner in 2000 to play in an Olympic final – he will face the world champion Fan Zhendong, who defeated Félix Lebrun in the semi-finals.
The young Frenchman himself has learned a lesson for the future from Möregardh’s exploit: “It is possible!” And his future is only just beginning.
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