As part of the run-up to the 2016 French Elite Long Course National Championships in Montpellier, the French Fédération (FFN) launched a teaser video with images from the 2016 FFN Golden Tour Camille Muffat circuit.
The Golden Tour was a little more special than usual this year, and for several reasons. The FFN planned the 2016 circuit specifically to help prepare athletes and coaches for Montpellier, where France’s 2016 Olympic team will be selected. With three stops this year instead of four in 2015, it was the perfect tool to help coaches fine-tune their swimmers on the road to Montpellier. Guy La Rocca, who coaches Jordan Pothain, is quoted in the magazine Natation as saying, “Before [the Golden Tour] we had to wait for the stages of Mare Nostrum to swim against the world’s elite, but these meets took place much later in the season. Now, from January onward, we can go up against the top athletes in each event, rather than just compete among the top French swimmers.”
The other reason 2016 was special is that the FFN renamed the circuit after Camille Muffat, the Olympic gold medalist who was killed in a helicopter crash last March.
Next week we will see the results of this planning at the French Nationals and Olympic Trials in Montpellier. For the moment, take a look at France’s stars from the Golden Tour Camille Muffat, including amongst others, Florent Manaudou, Jérémy Stravius, Camille Lacourt, Coralie Balmy, and Lara Grangeon.