Olympics rugby sevens: Antoine Dupont inspires France to gold medal in Paris
Cometh the hour, cometh the man.
Dupont is a titan in the 15-a-side ranks, captain of his country and voted 2021 World Player of the Year.
So when he switched to the sevens format it was a huge story and a decision that led to forensic analysis in France.
The 27-year-old decided to skip the Six Nations earlier this year to prioritise his nation’s bid for seven-a-side gold glory on home soil.
After an initially frosty response, that decision eventually further endeared Dupont to the French public – and it has resulted in Les Bleus landing glory on the first full day of the Games.
France’s biggest sports newspaper, L’Equipe, lauded him over Wednesday’s front pages, before an idolising Stade de France crowd regularly chanted his name when the tournament began.
In the build-up to the gold medal match, you could spot fans wearing Dupont masks as they milled about outside the stadium.
Every time his face appeared on the big screen inside, when the players strode out and prepared during the warm-up, the level of noise went up a notch to ear-splitting levels.
When Dupont darted out at the start of the second half, the expectation rose.
Then he showed why he is one of the greats. Like all generational talents, he delivered on the biggest stage.
He came on, took the game by the scruff of the neck, and delivered the gold medal which France craved.
A sign of Dupont’s influence was the way team-mates cheered along with the fans when his name was announced in the medal ceremony.
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