Excellent discussion by all.
ELAC quoted the following:
According to the Flight Data Recorder (FDR), the aircraft was traveling at the Vref (landing) airspeed of 148 knots, with a groundspeed of 162 knots, i.e. with a tailwind component of 14 knots, when the wheels made initial contact at about 4,000 feet down the 8,900-foot runway.
If I read this correctly, the aircraft was at Vref speed with the 14kt tailwind, at the moment the wheels made contact with the runway. This suggests that the approach speed was quite a bit higher over the threshhold, and only dissipated to Vref by the time they were 4000 feet down the runway.
PJ2 wrote:
"Floating" makes little sense as the energy is not there, as you say.
If I'm reading correctly, the excess energy had to be there, as I presently don't see any other explanation for the long float (pending additional information of course).