2017 FRENCH ELITE LONG COURSE NATIONALS
- Tuesday, May 23 – Sunday, May 28, 2017
- Centre Nautique de Schiltigheim, Strasbourg
- 50-meter course
- Prelims at 9:00 AM / Finals at 5:30 PM
- Televised on beIN SPORTS1 Tue-Fri / beIN SPORTS2 Sat / beIN SPORTS3 Sun
- FINA Qualifying Standards for 2017 Worlds
- Meet Central
- Start Lists
- Results
The 2017 French Elite Long Course Nationals continued tonight in Strasbourg with day 4 finals. Swimmers gathered to compete in the men’s 50 breast, 200 IM, and 100 free, while the women competed in the 100 fly and 200 back. Read on for highlights from today’s finals session.
In the women’s 100 fly, Texas A&M-based Beryl Gastaldello picked up her 2nd gold medal of the meet. Gastaldello powered to a 58.03 in the final, finishing over a second ahead of Marie Wattel (59.31). With that, she earned a spot on the French roster for 2017 Worlds, as their qualifying standard was a 58.15.
Also qualifying for the French World Championships roster tonight was sprint star Mehdy Metella. In the men’s 100 free, Metella and fellow international sprint veteran Jérémy Stravius battled down the stretch. They were separated by just hundredths through the halfway point, but Metella pulled ahead on the back half, winning in 48.23. That put Metella under the French qualifying standard of 48.58 by a few tenths, but Stravius came up short by a fingernail as he clocked in at 48.68 for silver.
Jeremy Desplanches was back at it again tonight, taking down another Swiss National Record in the 200 IM. Desplanches, who broke the Swiss Record to win the 400 IM earlier in the meet, completed his sweep of the IM gold tonight with a 1:57.40 in the final. That was nearly a full second under his own previous Swiss Record, which stood at a 1:58.31 from a meet in Amiens last month.
Additional Event Winners:
- Men’s 50 Breast- Théo Bussière, 27.92
- Women’s 200 Back- Camille Gheorghiu, 2:12.74
FRENCH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS QUALIFIERS THROUGH DAY 4:
- Anna Santamans– 50 free
- Geoffroy Mathieu– 200 back
- Aurelie Muller– 1500 free
- Charlotte Bonnet– 200 free
- Beryl Gastaldello– 100 fly
- Mehdy Metella– 100 free
Great swim by Desplanches!
Lauren, you can add that there’s no qualification for the men’s 4X100 free relay. Top 4 times = 3.15.76. The required time is 3.15.19.
Allez (and Gig ‘Em) Béryl!
She said she had no pressure and swam without questioning. Went out fast. Held on. Bad touch at the end. Could swim 57. Pleasant result in a tough week overall for French swimming.
Now her eyes are on the 100 free. The battle with Charlotte Bonnet should be great. Both girls can swim 53 mid/53 high.