2023 FRENCH ELITE CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Sunday, June 11th – Friday, June 16th
- Rennes, France
- LCM (50m)
- World Championships Qualifier
- FFN Selection Criteria
- Meet Central
- Entries
- SwimSwam Preview
- Day 1 Prelims Recap / Day 1 Finals Recap
- Day 2 Prelims Recap / Day 2 Finals Recap
- Day 3 Prelims Recap / Day 3 Finals Recap
- Day 4 Prelims Recap / Day 4 Finals Recap
- Day 5 Prelims Recap / Day 5 Finals Recap
- Day 6 Prelims Recap
- Live Results
- Live Stream
The final session of the 2023 French Elite Championships has arrived with six events on the docket as athletes look to either punch their ticket or add to their lineups in Fukuoka.
This morning’s prelims saw Charlotte Bonnet reset the French Record in the women’s 50 breast (30.82), while Maxime Grousset also had a notable swim with a PB of 51.71 in the 100 fly.
Leon Marchand, who went five-for-five in event wins through the first five days of competition, dropped the 100 fly from his schedule prior to this morning’s session.
The meet finale will be the men’s 1500 free, which could be a tantalizing race after we saw six swimmers sub-7:52 in the 800 free.
Damien Joly came out on top in the 800 and is the top seed by nearly 14 seconds in the mile, but will be pushed by the likes of Logan Fontaine, Joris Bouchaut, Marc-Antoine Olivier, David Aubry, and rapidly-rising youngster Pacome Bricout.
WOMEN’S 400 IM – FINAL
- French Record: 4:34.17, Fantine Lesaffre – 2018
- French Qualifying Time for Fukuoka: 4:39.92
- Fantine Lesaffre, 4:37.55
- Cyrielle Duhamel, 4:39.38
- Justine Delmas, 4:47.14
- Juliette Marchand, 4:51.85
- Camille Tissandie, 4:55.71
- Lea Musser, 4:58.18
- Clara Mougenot, 5:00.16
- Claudia Gadea (ROU), 5:05.21
Fantine Lesaffre led from the jump as she produces her fastest swim in four years to earn the French title in the women’s 400 IM, adding a second event to her World Championship lineup.
Lesaffre, 28, picked up the win in a time of 4:37.55, dipping under her season-best of 4:37.60 from the Canet leg of the Mare Nostrum Tour in May. Tonight’s performance marks her fastest swim since June 2019, and is her fourth-fastest ever, having won the 2018 European title in a PB of 4:34.17.
Lesaffre already booked her ticket to Fukuoka in the 200 IM early in the meet, having logged a lifetime best of 2:11.59.
Cyrielle Duhamel also got under the Worlds cut (4:39.92) in 4:39.38, having made up nearly two seconds on Lesaffre on the freestyle leg to touch second.
Duhamel, 23, cracks the 4:40 barrier for the first time, having previously been 4:41.14 back in May of 2018 as this marks her first PB in the event in five years.
She raced the event at the 2022 World Championships, but was a distant 13th in 4:52.24.
Up-and-coming breaststroker Justine Delmas showed off her versatility by putting up a strong swim to place third, clocking 4:47.14 to near her PB of 4:46.27 set in 2021.
MEN’S 100 FLY – FINAL
French Record: 50.85, Mehdy Metella – 2019- French Qualifying Time for Fukuoka: 51.93
- Maxime Grousset, 50.61
- Stanislas Huille, 52.25
- Charles Rihoux, 52.34
- Clement Secchi, 52.56
- Jaouad Syoud, 53.07
- Sergei Count, 53.25
- Alexandre D’Agata, 53.30
- Mehdy Metella, 53.39
Maxime Grousset unleashed a monstrous swim in the final of the men’s 100 fly, taking off more than a second to break the French Record by over two-tenths in 50.61.
Grousset chipped .01 off his lifetime best in the prelims, touching in 51.71, and in tonight’s final was explosive en route to the National Record, getting out in 23.46 at the 50 before closing in 27.15 (he was 24.07/27.64 in the heats).
The 24-year-old breaks the four-year-old French Record of 50.85, established by Mehdy Metella in 2019.
Grousset now ranks 12th all-time in the 100 fly, and has qualified to swim four individual events at the World Championships (50/100 free and fly).
He also takes over the #2 spot in the 2022-23 world rankings, trailing only Canadian Josh Liendo.
2022-2023 LCM Men 100 Fly
Grousset
50.14
| 2 | Josh Liendo | CAN | 50.34 | 07/29 |
| 3 | Dare Rose | USA | 50.46 | 07/29 |
| 4 | Matthew Temple | AUS | 50.76 | 07/28 |
| 5 | Nyls Korstanje | NED | 50.78 | 07/28 |
Stanislas Huille was the runner-up in 52.25, his second best time of the day as he was the only swimmer besides Grousset to close the back half sub-28.
Also setting a second consecutive best time after doing so in the prelims was Charles Rihoux, who placed third in 52.34.
Metella, who missed the 50 fly ‘A’ final, was eighth in 53.39 after clocking 53.11 in the prelims.
WOMEN’S 50 BREAST – FINAL
- French Record: 30.82, Charlotte Bonnet – 2023
- French Qualifying Time for Fukuoka: 30.35
- Florine Gaspard (BEL), 30.73
- Charlotte Bonnet, 31.17
- Justine Delmas, 31.57
- Lucie Vasquez, 32.17
- Chloe Braun, 32.51
- Lilou Girardet, 32.67
- Lou Hermel, 32.78
- Meghan Frouin, 32.88
Belgian Florine Gaspard completed the sprint breaststroke double by winning the women’s 50 in a time of 30.73, two one-hundredths quicker than she was in the prelims.
Gaspard set her PB of 30.53 in April at the Belgian Open Championships in Antwerp.
After setting a new French Record of 30.82 in the prelims, Charlotte Bonnet touched second in 31.17, well off the Worlds qualifying time of 30.35.
Eighteen-year-old Justine Delmas had a quick turnaround after placing third in the 400 IM, earning her second bronze medal in mere minutes as she rounded out the podium in 31.57. Delmas owns a PB of 31.32 from the 2021 Euro Juniors.
MEN’S 50 BACK – FINAL
- French Record: 24.07, Camille Lacourt – 2010
- French Qualifying Time for Fukuoka: 24.61
- Mewen Tomac, 24.80
- Yohann Ndoye-Brouard, 25.29
- Max Berg, 25.44
- Ladislas Salczer, 25.58
- Michel Arkhangelsky (RUS), 25.60
- Antoine Herlem, 25.88
- Alexandre Desangles, 25.91
- Jérémy Stravius, 26.00
Mewen Tomac pulled away from the field late to complete a sweep of the men’s backstroke events in Rennes, touching first in the 50 by nearly a half a second in 24.80.
Tomac’s swim matches his lifetime best, set all the way back in December 2020, and although it’s shy of the Worlds cut of 24.61, he’ll likely be able to race the event in Fukuoka having already qualified in the 100 and 200 back.
This marks the 21-year-old’s seventh swim under 25 seconds, slotting him into 13th in the 2022-23 world rankings.
Yohann Ndoye-Brouard, 22, was the runner-up in 25.29, a new season-best though well shy of his PB of 24.79 set at the 2022 World Championships where he finished ninth.
Ndoye-Brouard has already punched his ticket to Worlds in the 100 back.
Max Berg rounded out the podium in a personal best of 25.44, undercutting his 25.46 set last summer.
Notably popping up in the ‘A’ final was Jérémy Stravius, the 34-year-old three-time Olympic medalist who tied with fellow Frenchman Camille Lacourt to win the 2011 world title in the 100 back.
Stravius, who was also the 2013 World Championship bronze medalist in the 50 back, was eighth in 26.00, having clocked 25.99 in the prelims. His personal best sits at 24.45 from 2013.
WOMEN’S 200 FREE – FINAL
- French Record: 1:54.66, Camille Muffat – 2012
- French Qualifying Time for Fukuoka: 1:57.85
- Marie Wattel, 1:58.83
- Lucile Tessariol, 1:58.93
- Oceane Carnez, 2:00.21
- Assia Touati, 2:00.34
- Lilou Ressencourt, 2:01.58
- Valentine Leclercq, 2:02.38
- Eloise Riley, 2:02.95
- Mary-Ambre Moluh, 2:04.24
Marie Wattel picked up her third win and fifth top-two finish of the meet to close out the women’s competition in the 200 freestyle, recording her fastest swim in four years.
Known primarily as a sprint free and fly specialist, Wattel charged to the early lead and had enough left in the tank to hold off Lucile Tessariol down the stretch and touch first by a tenth, clocking 1:58.83.
Wattel’s best time of 1:58.18 stems from May 2018, and the only other time she’d been sub-1:59 coming into tonight was the 1:58.81 she produced in February 2019.
It was a breakthrough swim of sorts for Tessariol, cracking the 2:00 barrier for the first time and completely skipping the 1:59s in 1:58.93. The 19-year-old had previously been 2:00.03 at the 2022 European Championships.
Oceane Carnez was third in 2:00.21, just shy of her PB 1:59.70 set last April.
MEN’S 1500 FREE – FINAL
- French Record: 14:44.72, David Aubry – 2019
- French Qualifying Time for Fukuoka: 15:04.64
- Damien Joly, 14:56.46
- David Aubry, 14:58.94
- Pacome Bricout, 15:00.81
- Logan Fontaine, 15:15.36
- Marc-Antoine Olivier, 15:21.94
- Paul Beaugrand, 15:25.79
- Sacha Velly, 15:27.32
- Tommy-Lee Camblong, 15:29.33
A big move midway through the race gave Damien Joly enough runway to secure his second victory of the meet in the men’s 1500 free, as the 31-year-old veteran clocked in at 14:56.46.
Joly was with David Aubry and Pacome Bricout at the halfway mark but put down the gas over the next 500, and was up by nearly six seconds with just 200 meters to go.
However, Aubry, the National Record holder, made up more than three seconds over the final 200, but ran out of real estate as Joly touched first by over two seconds.
Joly owns a personal best of 14:48.90 from the 2016 Olympic Games and put up the second-fastest swim of his career at last summer’s European Championships in 14:50.86, winning the bronze medal.
Aubry, who set the French Record of 14:44.72 at the 2019 World Championships, put up his fastest time since then to take second in 14:58.94, qualifying him for the World Championships after missing last year’s squad.
Placing third was 18-year-old Pacome Bricout, who broke the National Age Record for 18 and unders in a time of 15:00.81, taking out the previous mark of 15:01.86 set by Sacha Velly in 2021.
Bricout also crushed his previous best time of 15:08.01 set in March.
French medley team :
Tomac – Marchand – Grousset – Manaudou
That’s a medal contender team right here
Nice swim for Grousset, the French medley relay is strating to look good
Is Metella still struggling with injuries?
Agreed! Do you think grousset will swim fly or free?
Fly surely, with Manadou on the free
both
Cyrielle FINALLY caught a break! She’s been third in so many races and was third in the 200 IM and under the cut time. Good to see her finally put it all together in the 400 IM and make the team!
France has a shot at a medal in the men’s 400 MR. Monster swim by Grousset!
Extremely surprising that they might become a medal contender out of nowhere. The US, China and Italy are still favored over them, but I wouldn’t be shocked if France would beat GB and/or Australia. Of course all of this only holds true if Marchand will at least be in sub 1:00 flat start shape at worlds. ZSC is half a second faster than him in the 200 breast and is capable of going roughly 59.5 in the 100 breast. The big question is what will happen to Marchand‘s breaststroke if/once he focuses more on his other strokes to prepare for worlds (to break at least one of the medley world records there).
They do not have substitutes (except in backstroke). Flo will have to swim twice on Sunday the 30th. Luckily for him, in this edition the 50, assuming he qualifies, will be on Saturday the 29th.
Sick swim but silly finish
So the optimal French men’s medley is now Tomac/Ndoye-Brouard—Marchand—Grousset—Manaudou it seems
Where’s relay names guy
I mean if Tomac starts off with a 52.x like he did at these championships, this could well be an underdog medal contender, we’ll see…
53.0 for tomac/ndoye-brouard, 59.0 for marchand (that’s my guess), 50.5 grousset, 47.5 manadeau (around where he’s been on relays)
That gets a 3:30, which is usually in contention for 4th-6th at major international meets now. Be cool if they surprised me though.
This relay can in theory claim a medal at the Worlds but the team’s lack of experience will be a handicap.
50.61 for Grousset! Lonnnng finish, thought he was going 49 for a minute there
Smashed metella’s French record was not expecting him to drop a 50. Mid fly. Wow.
This just in:
Sexy God Flo Manaudou to contest the 1500 meter freestyle at French nationals
haha