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French National Record Holder Beryl Gastaldello Returns to France to Train

French National record holder Beryl Gastaldello has announced via Instagram that she has moved back to France after spending the last 8 years in the United States. The move comes just two months after Gastaldello decided to join former Alabama head coach Coley Stickels‘ new pro group in Frisco, Texas. While Gastaldello doesn’t mention Stickels by name in her post, she says “I am a true believer that everything happens for a reason and things not working out in Frisco helped me realize that I had nothing left to do in America.”

Gastaldello says she’ll be training for the 2024 Paris Olympics with Etoiles, of which Sangaria Olivier is the head coach.

Gastaldello spent the majority of her time in the States training at Texas A&M, where she was a 13-time All-American and an SEC Champion. She thanked A&M associate head coach Jason Calanog and head coach Jay Holmes by name in her post, saying “A&M is and will always be a true home.”

On the International stage, Beryl has won 7 SC European Championships medals, along with another two LC Euros medals. Most recently, she took Silver in the 100 IM at the SC World Championships in Abu Dhabi just a few months ago, in December of 2021.

Gastaldello currently holds 4 French Records, including the SCM 100 free and 100 IM. She also holds relay records in the SCM 4×50 free relay and LCM 4×100 free relay.

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Snarky
2 years ago

She strikes me as a drama factory. Didn’t the LA Current coach called her uncoachable? Seems like she’s had as many coaching changes as Cielo!

TheloniusPunk
Reply to  Snarky
2 years ago

I recall it being James Gibson, and it was mentioned in the letter when the first Energy Standard GM resigned and was complaining that Gibson didn’t try to recruit French athletes beyond Flo (and the letter came after the season when Beryl was like 3rd in the season MVP scoring, so it was meant as a dig on Gibson at the time).

The unoriginal Tim
Reply to  TheloniusPunk
2 years ago

A coach saying someone is uncoachable is more a reflection on the coach than the athlete. A lot of Gibsons comments during ISL when ES were not winning make him seam like a a whiner to be honest.

oxyswim
2 years ago

Beryl has always come across as someone who just don’t like swimming that much, but continues to do it because of overwhelming talent.

Tommy Schmitt
2 years ago

Etoiles 92 is one of those “bling bling” clubs like Lagardère Paris Racing who pop up every 5-10 years and then quickly deteriorate when money starts running out

Jojorab
2 years ago

good for her. surprise she lasted that long with him

justanopinion
2 years ago

Imagine that. Swimming in an obscure Dallas suburb that’s basically South Oklahoma and far away from actual Dallas with primarily high school age groupers wasn’t an ideal training base with zero other adult type pro’s around. Huh. Who could’ve predicted it wouldn’t be ideal?

Jo bo
Reply to  justanopinion
2 years ago

I certainly wouldn’t call Frisco “southern Oklahoma”. I mean the Dallas Cowboys have their headquarters there and it’s a gigantic city that’s about 30 minutes from downtown Dallas. BUT definitely not where someone like her should be training surrounded by age groupers. Cant argue w that

sticky rice
2 years ago

Classic Coley Stickles

Shaddy419
Reply to  sticky rice
2 years ago

I’m here to debunk this theory. Someone in the know at TFA said that the club team(not the pro team) was getting pretty frustrated with her and it just became an untenable situation. She actually quit on the team in the middle of Texas sectionals and scratched a day and then just showed up the last day. Meet Mobile will back up this statement

Swimfan
Reply to  Shaddy419
2 years ago

Daaamnn.

Ol' Longhorn
Reply to  Shaddy419
2 years ago

Something happened during ISL season, too, where they made her sit out.

The unoriginal Tim
Reply to  Ol' Longhorn
2 years ago

Her mother was having cancer traetment dude

swimapologist
Reply to  Shaddy419
2 years ago

Lol come on bro, let’s not pretend like this wasn’t just a collision of two hot-headed individuals.

Coley and Beryl must’ve been the only two people on earth who were naive enough to believe that this partnership would work.

Snarky
Reply to  swimapologist
2 years ago

Like a Kardashian marriage!

Swammer
Reply to  Shaddy419
2 years ago

My best friend swims at their club team and confirmed this. Also said that he and all the other swimmers are loving working with Coley.

Dressel Propagandist
2 years ago

SS Commenters knew 2 months ago, that it won’t work with Coley.

Last edited 2 years ago by Dressel Propagandist
Fresh kid ice man
Reply to  Dressel Propagandist
2 years ago

Pretty sure it’s the other way around in that it won’t work w Beryl, but ss commenters know best. I think Beryl was kicked off LA Current for similar behavior I believe.

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Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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