French basketball star Tony Parker told his team-mates yesterday not to be intimidated by the mighty Americans and insisted the Dream Team can be defeated.
Defending champions United States and France clash in their opening match at the Olympics on Sunday where Parker, who plays point guard with the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA, believes the injury-hit Americans can be defeated.
“All teams can be beaten,” he said of the United States.
“They are not unbeatable. In competition anything can happen.”
France lost 69-67 to Australia in their last warm-up match on Monday after their preparations had already been complicated by Parker suffering an eye injury in a New York nightclub brawl last month.
He will have to wear protective eyewear in the tournament to guard against further damage.
“I will wear them throughout the competition. I have to do that and make sure I adapt, but it won’t be easy,” he said.
“I lead the team and have to focus on other things that are going on around the court.”
On Sunday’s opener, the 30-year-old added: “My father is American and I have a lot of family who come from there, it’s a special match.
“It’s always special to play against the Americans. They are the favourites and will be going out to play at their maximum. It’ll be a good match for us to start the Olympics.”
Olympic Games in numbers
From the 10,490 athletes heading to London, to the flock of 70 sheep taking part in the opening ceremony on Friday, AFP takes a look at the 2012 Olympic Games in numbers.
11 million tickets for Olympic and Paralympic events, of which 75 per cent will be sold to spectators in Britain. Sponsors, officials and broadcasters can buy 13 per cent of the tickets, while the remaining 12 per cent are for purchase through National Olympic Committees in other countries.
€11.6 billion has been spent on staging the games. It is almost four times the estimated cost of hosting the Games at the time of London’s bid in 2005. The original budgets for security and for the opening and closing ceremonies have both been doubled.
10,490 athletes will compete in 26 Olympic sports in a total of 302 medal events. They will be subject to 5,000 anti-doping tests. Some 4,200 Paralympic athletes are taking part in 503 medal events, in 20 different sports.
1 million pieces of sports equipment. Some 26,400 tennis balls, 600 basketballs and 6,000 archery targets have been bought.
150,000 condoms will be provided to competitors at the athletes’ village.
34 venues across Britain, including nine inside the Olympic Park in east London. The Olympic Stadium, at the heart of the park, took three years to build and uses 10,000 tonnes of steel.
Two million people will visit London for the Games, according to Olympics Minister Hugh Robertson. Spectators will make 15 million journeys on London’s creaking public transport system on each of the busiest days of the Games.
14 million meals will be served at the Games, using 25,000 loaves of bread, 100 tonnes of meat, 75,000 litres of milk and 330 tonnes of fruit and vegetables.
46,000 workers built the Olympic Park and Village, and the Games themselves will involve a total workforce of 200,000, including 100,000 contractors and 70,000 volunteers.
12,875 kilometres route for the torch relay. The Olympic flame is travelling around Britain over ten weeks, travelling 177 miles a day on average.
70 sheep, 12 horses, three cows, two goats, 10 chickens and three sheepdogs. A veritable menagerie will take part in the opening ceremony, when the Olympic Stadium will be transformed into a rural British idyll.