2022 French Elite Championships: Day 6 Finals Live Recap

2022 FRENCH ELITE CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Tuesday, April 5th – Sunday, April 10th
• Limoges Métropole, France
• LCM (50m)
• World Championships & European Championships Qualifier
• FFN Selection Policy
• Entries
• Results

Tonight’s finals session includes the women’s 400 IM, men’s 400 IM, women’s 50 breast, men’s 50 back, and women’s 50 free. Timed finals of the men’s 1500 free are also taking place today, the fastest heat of which will be swum at the end of tonight’s finals session.

Perhaps the most anticipated race of the night is the women’s 50 free, where Marie Wattel, Melanie Henique, and Charlotte Bonnet were bunched together this morning. This is a stacked field, featuring 3 of the France’s top swimmers currently. Henique is the French Record holder, while Wattel has the fastest time of the season in this field.

WOMEN’S 400 IM – FINALS

• French Record – 4:34.17, Fantine Lesaffre, 2018
• FINA ‘A’ Cut – 4:43.06

Podium:

1. Cyrielle Duhamel – 4:47.23
2. Alexandra Dobrin – 4:47.46
3. Camille Tissandie – 4:49.02

In a thrilling A final, Cyrielle Duhamel managed to hold off Alexandra Dobrin to claim the women’s 400 IM title. Duhamel established an early lead, out-splitting Dobrin on fly 1:04.13 to 1:05.65. With virtually identical back splits, 1:13.68 for Duhamel and 1:13.72 for Dobrin, Duhamel hit the halfway mark 1.57 seconds ahead of Dobrin. Although Dobrin would out-split Duhamel on both breaststroke and freestyle, the early deficit was too great for her to overcome.

Camille Tissandie was out right between Duhamel and Dobrin, splitting 1:04.95 on fly, but a poor 1:14.84 backstroke split put her into a deficit which she wouldn’t be able to overcome.

MEN’S 400 IM – FINALS

• French Record – 4:09.65, Leon Marchand, 2022
• FINA ‘A’ Cut – 4:17.48

Podium:

1. Emilien Mattenet – 4:16.37
2. Jaouad Syoud – 4:19.21
3. Tom Remy – 4:20.95

Emilien Mattenet posted an incredible swim tonight, roaring to victory in the ‘A’ final with a 4:16.37. The swim is huge for Mattenet, as he came in more than a second under FINA ‘A’ cut time of 4:17.48.

He was in control of his race from the beginning, splitting 58.87 on fly, then swimming a 1:05.06 on backstroke. The impressive thing about his backstroke leg was the way he split it. Mattenet embraced the tried and true philosophy of swimming faster on the 2nd 50 of the stroke. He split 33.29 on the first backstroke 50, then sped up immensely, clocking in at 31.77 on the 2nd 50. A 1:13.10 breast split and 59.34 free split got Mattenet home, 3 seconds ahead off anyone else.

WOMEN’S 50 BREASTSTROKE – FINALS

• French Record – 30.96, Sophie de Ronchi, 2009
• FINA ‘A’ Cut – 31.22

Podium:

1. Florine Gaspard – 31.17
2. Justine Delmas – 31.72
3. Chloe Braun – 32.27

Belgium’s Florine Gaspard dominated the field in the women’s 50 breaststroke, winning by over half a second with a 31.17, slipping just 0.05 under the FINA ‘A’ cut. Of the French swimmers, Justine Delmas was in clear control, cruising to silver in 31.72, followed a half-second back by Chloe Braun in 32.27. Braun, for her part, barely fended off Laurie le Henaff, who posted a 32.32 to place 4th. Though none of the French swimmers got the FINA ‘A’ cut today, Delmas and Braun were both under the ‘B’ cut, with le Henaff finishing just 0.01 off of the FINA ‘B’ cut as well.

MEN’S 50 BACKSTROKE – FINALS

• French Record – 24.07, Camille Lacourt, 2010
• FINA ‘A’ Cut – 25.17

Podium:

1. Mewen Tomac – 24.89
2. Kai Van Westering – 25.32
3. Yohann Ndoye-Brouard – 25.44

Mewen Tomac blasted a 24.89 to clench the title in the men’s 50 backstroke, making him the sole performer sub-24 second in Sunday’s final. Kai Van Westering and Yohann Ndoye-Brouard kept it close for silver, though Van Westering came out on top. Veteran Jeremy Stravious finished in 4th with a 25.66, while Indian National Record holder Srihari Nataraj placed 5th in 25.67, about 0.49 off his personal best.

WOMEN’S 50 FREESTYLE – FINALS

• French Record – 24.34, Melanie Henique, 2020
• FINA ‘A’ Cut – 25.04

Podium:

1. Marie Wattel – 24.82
2. Melanie Henique – 25.00
3. Charlotte Bonnet – 25.05

Marie Wattel edged National Record holder Melanie Henique by 0.18 to win the women’s 50 freestyle on Sunday. Henique had a great reaction time of 0.57 versus Wattel’s 0.67 reaction time, though Wattel produced more power down the stretch of the pool and overtook Henique. Charlotte Bonnet rounded out the podium, finishing 3rd in 25.05, fully o.20 ahead of 4th-place finisher Anna Santamans.

MEN’S 1500 FREESTYLE – TIMED FINALS

• French Record – 14:44.72, David Aubry, 2019
• FINA ‘A’ Cut – 15:04.64

Podium:

1. Damien Joly – 15:02.69
2. Joris Bouchaut – 15:06.28
3. Sacha Velly – 15:12.51

Damien Joly notched a FINA ‘A’ cut en route to winning the men’s 1500 freestyle on Sunday, notching a 15:02.69 to win by nearly 4 seconds.

Joly, Bouchaut, and Velly were all bunched up through the first 500 meters, then over the middle 500 Joly began to distance himself from Bouchaut, while Bouchaut put a few seconds between himself and the teenager Velly. By the 1000-meter turn, Joly was exactly 3 seconds ahead of Bouchaut (9:57.73 to 10:00.73, respectively), while Velly maintained 3rd position in 10:04.04. Though Joly came away with the gold, Bouchaut had the fastest final 100 split by far, posting a 57.93 to Joly’s 1:00.75. Bouchaut’s final 50 meter split was a 27.76.

FRENCH WORLDS TEAM TRACKER – THRU DAY 6

Only two new names were added to the French World Championships roster today: Melanie Henique via the women’s 50 freestyle, and Emilien Mattenet via the men’s 400 IM.