After “Dunk or Die” on Kadour Ziani, Nicolas De Virieu has just made a new documentary on a legendary page in French basketball. This time, he was interested in the Clermont Université Club, whose women's section marked the 1970s and 1980s, with 12 consecutive French championship titles.
Led by Jacky Chazalon, Irène Guidotti, Colette Passemard, Élisabeth Riffiod and Françoise Quiblier, the club even reached the final of the Champion Clubs' Cup five times. For five defeats, including four against Daugava Riga of Ouliana Semenova (2m11, 103 kilos), an insurmountable obstacle for “Les Demoiselles de Clermont”.
“These women are the Poulidors of basketball with five defeats in five finals” explains Nicolas de Virieu. “But looking back, fifty years later, they don't care because they have built more important things and a relationship for life. »
The documentary will be broadcast this Saturday, November 30, at 8:05 a.m., on La Chaîne L'Equipe, before then being put online immediately on L'Equipe Explore, which produces it.
The opportunity to delve into the heart of more than 60 hours of archives from the INA, but also into the testimonies of the heroines of the “CUC” and those they have left their mark, starting with Vincent Collet and of course Boris Diawthe son of one of these “Demoiselles de Clermont”, Élisabeth Riffiod.
