2024 French Olympic Trials: Day 5 Finals – Live Recap

2024 FRENCH ELITE CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Sunday, June 16 – Friday, June 21
• Chartres, France
• LCM (50 meters)
• Meet
• Entry List
• Results
• Live Stream
• Prelims: Day 1 |Day 2 |Day 3 |Day 4 |Day 5
• Finals: Day 1 |Day 2 |Day 3 |Day 4

Bonsoir mes amis. C’est l’avant-dernière journée des Championnats de France Elite. Les nages du matin ont été rapides et ce soir ne devrait pas être différent.

The evening sessions start off with the Women’s 800 free, where Anastasiia Kirpichnikova will look to complete her sweep of the 400-800- 1500 free. She has already punched her ticket to the Olympics in both the 400 and 1500, so unless something drastic happens, the 800 should be perfunctory.

After the longest race of the day, we pivot to the shortest of the day and one of the most anticipated of the entire meet, the men’s 50 free. Florent Manaudou has looked great and, after swimming a personal best in the 100 free, recorded his fastest 50 free this morning since 2016, when he clocked 21.52. He wasn’t alone in having a speedy swim as Maxime Grousset recorded the second-best time of his career when he finished 2nd in 21.66. Both are already under the OQT, so it’s just a question of how much faster they can go.

The Non-Olympic Event 50 Back sees National Record holder Analie Pigree take on Mary-Ambre Moluh for the title. The Women’s 200 fly seed Lara Grangeon De Villele looks to make another Olympic team after having swum both in the pool and open water,

There will be a surprising name in the center lane tonight in the men’s 200 back, as Antoine Herlem posted the top time of 1:58.33. He’s situated just ahead of Yohann Ndoye-Brouard and Mewen Tomac, and it’ll be interesting to see if he can make it a three-way race tonight as the two more experienced swimmers will look to move past him. Ndoye-Brouard and Tomac have both likely been named to the team in the 100 back.

Women’s 800 Free – Finals

• World Record: 8:04.79 – Katie Ledecky, USA (2016)
• World Junior Record: 8:11.00 – Katie Ledecky, USA (2014)
• French Record: 8:18.80 – Laure Manaudou (2007)
• 2021 Winning Time: 8:38.60 – Adeline Furst
• Olympic Qualifying Time: 8:26.71

Top 3

1. Anastasiia Kirpichnikova (Montpellier Metropole Natation) – 8:26.38 ***OLY QUALIFIER***
2. Anna Egorova (CS CLichy 92) – 8:34.30
3. Lucile Tessariol (SA Merignac) – 8:41.62

Like in the 1500, Kirpichnikova was alone for much of the race. She had over a two-second lead at the 200 (2:03.48) and was well alone by the 400. However, this doesn’t mean that it wasn’t a tight race, as Kirpichnikova was a lot closer to the OQT than expected. She closed in 32.01 and 30.66 to hit the wall in 8:26.38, clearing the barrier by less than half a second.

Men’s 50 Free – Finals

• World Record: 20.91 – Cesar Cielo, BRA (2009)
• World Junior Record: 21.75 – Michael Andrew, USA (2017)
• French Record: 20.94 – Frederick Bousquet (2009)
• 2021 Winning Time: 21.74 – Maxime Grousset
• Olympic Qualifying Time: 21.96

Top 3

1. Florent Manaudou (CN Marseille) – 21.54 ***OLY QUALIFIER***
2. Maxime Grousset (CS Clichy 92) – 21.67 ***OLY QUALIFIER***
3. Pierre Lebois (CN Marseille) – 22.18

Florent Manaudou and Maxime Grousset were just .02 and .01 slower than their morning swims. Manaudou, who has slimmed down and admitted to losing some muscle mass in favor of elasticity, posted this morning his fastest time since 2016 and backed it up again tonight with his 21.54, officially qualifying for his home Olympics in an individual event.

Grousset, who the 100 in 47.33, placed 2nd to Manaudou in 21.67. Like his compatriot, Grousset had a great morning swim of 21.66, his second-fastest ever swim.

Their morning swims jump them both up into the top 10 of the world, with Manaudou taking 5th and Grousset 6th.

Women’s 50 Back- Finals

• World Record: 26.86 – Kaylee McKeown, AUS  (2023)
• World Junior Record: 27.49 – Minna Atherton, AUS (2016)
• French Record: 27.27 – Analia Pigree (2022)
• 2021 Winning Time: 27.59 – Analia Pigree
• Olympic Qualifying Time: N/A

Top 3

1. Analia Pigree (Canet 66 Natation) – 27.61
2. Mary-Ambre Moluh (U.S. Creteil Nataion) – 27.73
3. Emma Terebo (Amien Metropole Nat.) – 27.90

In a new course record, Analia Pigree takes the win in the women’s 50 backstroke. Pigree, who owns the national record of 27.27 from 2022, stopped the clock at 27.61. It’s a bittersweet victory for Pigree, who qualified 2nd into the finals of the 100 back, but ended up in 5th. Mary-Ambre Moluh, who swam under the 100 back national record and the OQT in the 100 but placed 3rd, was just a little behind Pigree, taking the silver medal in 27.73.

Emma Terebo, who qualified in the 100 back, in a new national record and won the 200 back, placed 3rd in 27.90.

Women’s 200 Fly – Finals

• World Record: 2:01.81, Liu Zige (2009)
• World Junior Record: 2:04.06 – Summer McIntosh 
• French Record: 2:05.09 – Aurore Mongel (2009)
• 2021 Winning Time: 2:11.16 – Lara Grangeon-De-Villele
• Olympic Qualifying Time: 2:08.43

Top 3

1. Lara Grangeon de Villele (Dauphins Toulouse) – 2:09.26
2. Lilou Ressencourt (Olympic Nice Natation) – 2:09.30
3. Julitter Marchand (CN Niort) – 2:11.76

With a margin of victory of just .04, it was one of the closest races of the week so far, closer than Manaudou’s margin of victory over Grousset.

Grangeon de Villele was out in 1:01.17, less than half a second ahead of Ressencourt, who was 1:01.45. Ressencourt closed the gap to just .12 at the 150, and the pair turned for home stroke for stroke. As much as she tried, Ressecourt couldn’t close the gap enough, and Grangeon de Villele got the win in 2:09.26. It was a good second drop from this morning but fell short of the Olympic qualifying time, meaning that France will have no swimmers in this event

Men’s 200 Back – Finals

• World Record: 1:51.92 – Aaron Piersol, USA (2009)
• World Junior Record: 1:55.14 – Kliment Kolesnikov, RUS (2018)
• French Record: 1:55.62 – Yohann Ndoye-Brouard (2022)
• 2021 Winning Time: 1:56.82 – Mewen Tomac
• Olympic Qualifying Time: 1:57.50

Top 3

1. Mewen Tomac (Amiens Metropole) – 1:55.54  ***OLY QUALIFIER*** NEW FRENCH RECORD
2. Yohann Ndoye-Brouard (Dauphins D’Annecy) – 1:56.48 ***OLY QUALIFIER***
3. Antoine Herlem (Dauphine Toulose) – 1:56.98

What a way to end the session. Mewen Tomac, out of lane 3, blasted to a new personal best and French record. Tomac was just third this morning, qualifying in a time of 1:58.49, but left something in reserve for tonight.

Tomac, who won the 50 and 100 back earlier in the meet and has committed to Cal this fall, was out in 55.93, the only swimmer under 56.  Clear of Ndoye-Brouard by half a second. Tomac kept up the pace over the back half, splitting 29.83 and 29.78 to close in 59.61 and posted a time of 1:55.54.

His time clipped Ndoye-Brouard’s national record of 1:55.64 by .08. Before tonight, Tomac had a personal best of 1:55.79 from the 2023 Worlds. His time tonight jumps him up into 6th in the World this season