Going for Gold in Paris- There are plenty of candidates vying for the Olympic gold medal in the women's football tournament this summer

There are plenty of candidates vying for the Olympic gold medal in the women's football tournament this summer

- by Glenn Moore

Only one host nation has ever won gold in women’s Olympic soccer – the United States, unsurprisingly, in Atlanta 1996, the first time the event was included at the Games. In the six since, five of which were held in countries who could be considered contenders, only Brazil in 2016 even reached the semi-finals.

This is half of the historic trend France are seeking to buck at Paris 2024; the other half is their own reputation for choking.

France have produced a series of outstanding players, many of whom featured in the Lyon team that until Barcelona’s recent emergence dominated women’s football. Yet prior to this year’s UEFA Nations League, Les Bleues had never appeared in a major final.

They lost that match to Spain and, given its novelty, the Nations League is yet to be regarded as a notable prize anyway. But it was progress nevertheless. Previously, France had reached a solitary semifinal in each of the World Cup (2011), Olympics (2012) and European Championship (2022).

This time – they are trying to convince themselves – it will be different. In hiring Herve Renard, the French Football Federation, now under more enlightened administration, made a statement choice. The World Cup, in which they went out in the quarterfinals to hosts Australia following a nerve-shredding, lengthy penalty shootout, came early for him, but he has now had 15 months at the helm.

France coach… Herve Renard will be aiming to guide the host to the first-ever major trophy.

Until a home defeat in Saint-Etienne in early June to England, they were on an impressive run of form this year, having won away to the Lionesses and Sweden and also beaten Germany, all in competitive matches.