Sauret Gillespie turns the page

A 31-year-Audrey Sauret Gillespie decided to retire. The leader lights had not the strength to embark on a new adventure under a new coach

The absence of a motivating project "It is with great emotion that I officially announced my retirement from the French team to Pierre Vincent (Editor's note: coach) and Jean-Pierre De Vincenzi (Editor's note: National Technical Director)." Brief, published on its official website, Audrey Sauret Gillespie-has turned the page of 13 years of life in Blue (it celebrated its first selection in December 1994). European Champion in 2001, Vice-champion of Europe in 1999 with the selection lights, the leader of game Taranto (Italy), now aged 31 years, was visibly flame to continue. The arrival of Pierre Vincent reins to the team meant the beginning of a new adventure, in which Ardennaise unwilling to participate. "Pierre Vincent contacted me, a week ago, to know my intentions towards the French team, which has finally made me confirm that in the sense that it was the right time to retire. I can not in 31 years of venturing into a new campaign when it does me no this project as such, "she says. A paved thrown into the pond by Pierre Vincent, a month after his enthronement at the head of Blues, should only moderately appreciate this verbal output of the player with 202 selections. His project, or at least its outline, the coach of the Bourges has exposed in mid-February in the appointment. Believing that "a number of things" had worked at the previous European campaign, which ended with a modest 8th place at the Euro last October, the former Deputy Jacky Commères meant "build upon what has market "and wanted to" re-level the fundamental values of sport and enhance the collective teamwork rather than to think that adding this or that star will transform the success of the project. "Audrey Sauret-Gillespie, twice winner of the Euroleague (2002 and 2004), eight times French champion (1994, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004.2005) and four-time winner of the French Cup (2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004) it would have felt under Pierre Vincent? The time to withdraw Only she could answer this question. Still, the leader tricolour felt that the time had come for her to leave the place. "In the depths of my desire to play my physical, my game are qualities that I know that I could still remain. But the reason, the pride of knowing when to withdraw and not to take the risk of making too much of the year, the year that waste all these wonderful years in the group are France that the time is right! The time to leave without regret and not let the opportunity to someone… create, "she says. So without one of the few French players in the WNBA to have evolved (in 2001 and 2002 with Washington Mystics) that the French team will, in August and September this year, qualified for Euro 2009 in the face Romania, Slovakia, Croatia and Hungary. But with Celine Dumerc and Edwige Lawson-Wade, the transition should be smooth.