Verraszto, Bonnet Put Up Top-10 World Times on Day 1 of Nice

2019 FFN Golden Tour Camille Muffat – Nice

• Friday, February 8-Sunday, February 10, 2019
• Prelims 8:30am GMT+1 (2:30am EST/11:30pm PST); finals 4pm on Friday and Saturday (10am EST/7am PST), 3pm on Sunday (9am EST/6am PST)
• Piscine Jean Bouin, Nice
• 50m
• Brochure
• Psych sheet
• Live results
• Meet site

Day 1

Hometown favorite Charlotte Bonnet logged the 7th-fastest 50 free in the world so far this year, winning the event in 24.83 over former teammate Marie Wattel (25.15), who now trains and goes to school at Loughborough University.

Bonnet had tied with Hungary’s Anna Sztankovics for the top qualifying time of the morning in the 50 breast (31.96) but declined her spot in the final to focus on the 50 free, which was the following event. Fanny Deberghes edged Sztankovics in the breaststroke final, 31.53 to 31.83. Fantine Lesaffre won a tight 200 IM over Cyrielle Duhamel. Duhamel led by 1/10, 1:03.33 to 1:03.43, at the 100, but Lesaffre’s strong breaststroke (38.32 to Duhamel’s 39.32) gave her the edge. Lesaffre touched in 2:13.03; Duhamel was 2nd in 2:13.70.

Hungary’s David Verraszto turned in the #2 time in the world so far this year in the 400 IM, winning easily over countryman Gyurta Gergely, 4:14.13 to 4:20.14.

Jérémy Stravius, now training in Nice, won a tight 50 fly going 23.99 to best Maxime Grousset (24.01) and Mehdy Metella (24.02). Stravius was runner-up in the 100 back (55.08) to Yohann Ndoye Brouard (54.35).

There was a furious fight to the finish in the men’s 400 free. Tunisia’s Mehdi Lagili got the win in 3:51.47, only .05 off his seed time. Behind him were Joris Bouchaut (3:52.24), David Aubry (3:53.20), Ahmed-Ayoub Hafnaoui (TUN) (3:53.34), and Jordan Pothain (3:53.85).

Other event winners:

• Women’s 1500 free: Anna Egorova and Anastassia Kirpitchnikova, both Russian nationals who train with Philippe Lucas in Montpellier, went 1-2 in the 1500 free with 16:31.53 and 16:35.26. Aurélie Muller, also part of Team Lucas, was 3rd in 16:40.45.
• Women’s 100 back: Katalin Burian (HUN) – 1:01.36 over Lauren Cox (GBR) 1:01.60
• Men’s 50 breast: Giedrius Titenis (LTU) – 28.52 ahead of Wassim Elloumi (TUN) 28.63
• Women’s 200 fly: Liliana Szilagyi (HUN) – 2:09.57