FRENCH CHAMPIONSHIPS ELITE 2019 – 50M
- From Tuesday 16th to Sunday 21st April 2019
- Series from 9.30am; final C from 18:00; final A / B from 18h30
- Host: Brittany Regional Swimming League
- Bréquigny swimming pool, 12 boulevard Albert 1er, RENNES
- 50m
- Enrty List: click here
- Results:click here
MEN’S 50 FREESTYLE
- FINA “A”: 22.18
- Worlds qualifying standard: 22.05
- French Record: 20.94 – Frédérick Bousquet (CN Marseille) – 26/04/2009 – Montpellier
- Favorites: Yonel Govindin (CN Marseille), 22.13; Maxime Grousset (Amiens Métropole Nat.), 22.14; Oussama Sahnoune (CN Marseille), 22.30
TOP 8 QUALIFIERS:
- Clément Mignon – 22.06
- Oussama Sahnoune – 22.17
- Yonel Govindin – 22.43
- Maxime Grousset – 22.47
- Tom Paco Pedroni – 22.87
- Guillame Guth – 23.06
- Max Berg – 23.07
- Orhan Dine-Moreira – 23.09
Clément Mignon, who was not one of our favorites heading into the meet, posted the fastest time in prelims by over a tenth of a second. Mignon posted a best time of 22.06, missing the standard to qualify for Worlds Champs by just 0.01 seconds. Oussama Sahnoune of Algeria came in 2nd this morning, dropping from his seed time of 22.30 to clock a 22.17. The top seed coming in, Yonel Govindin, was 3rd this morning after touching in 22.43. The race at the bottom of the Championship final tonight looks to be a tight one, as 6th-8th this morning were separated by just 0.03 seconds.
WOMEN’S 50 FLY
- FINA “A”: 26.34
- Worlds qualifying standard: 25.82
- French Record: 25.63 – Mélanie Henique (CN Marseille) – 28/07/2017 – Budapest (HUN) / 06/04/2018 – Marseille
- Favorites: Mélanie Henique (CN Marseille), 25.63; Marie Wattel (Montpellier Métropole Natation), 26.16; Lena Bousquin (CN Marseille), 26.56
TOP 8 QUALIFIERS:
- Marie Wattel – 26.07
- Mélanie Henique – 26.13
- Béryl Gastaldello – 26.14
- Lena Bousquin – 26.77
- Naele Portecop – 26.89
- Anais Arlandis – 27.08
- Lou Guirado – 27.28
- Emma Morel – 27.51
Marie Wattel led the way this morning, coming in just under her seed time of 26.16 with a 26.07. Mélanie Henique, the only swimmer seeded with a time under the qualifying standard for Worlds, came in 2nd this morning at 26.13. Béryl Gastaldello took 3rd with a 26.14. All 3 of the top swimmers were under the FINA A cut of 26.34, but were off the incredibly tough French qualifying standard of 25.82. The race in finals looks like it will be between Wattel, Henique, and Gastaldello.
MEN’S 100 FLY
- FINA “A”: 51.96
- Worlds qualifying standard: 51.81
- French Record: 51.06 – Mehdy Metella (CN Marseille) – 28/07/2017 – Budapest (HUN)
- Favorites: Mehdy Metella (CN Marseille), 51.24; Jérémy Stravius (Amiens Métropole Nat.), 52.54; Pierre Henry Arrenous (ASPTT Poitiers), 52.61
TOP 8 QUALIFIERS:
- Mehdy Metella – 51.51
- Jérémy Stravius – 52.00
- Nans Roch – 53.01
- Jeremy Desplanches – 53.15
- Flavien Aubry – 53.40
- Pierre Henry Arrenous – 53.50
- Serguei Comte – 53.67
- Nicolas Vermorel – 53.98
Mehdy Metella, who had already qualified for Worlds in this event, threw down a speedy 51.51 in prelims to take the top seed for finals. Metella’s time comes in under both the FINA A cut and French qualifying standard for Worlds. That time also ties Metella with Caeleb Dressel for 5th in the world this year. Metella was also just 0.45 seconds off his own French Record this morning, leaving the door open to a possible record tonight.
Jérémy Stravius came in 2nd this morning, shedding over half a second from his seed time to post a 52.00. That time was just off the FINA A cut of 51.96, and the French standard of 51.81. Metella and Stravius appear to be the two swimmers vying for the title tonight, since Stravius is 1.01 seconds ahead of the 3rd place finisher this morning, Nans Roch.
WOMEN’S 200 BACK
- FINA “A”: 2: 11.53
- Worlds qualifying standard: 2: 10.19
- French Record: 2: 06.64 – Laure Manaudou (Mulhouse ON) – 26/04/2008 – Dunkirk
- Favorites: Mathilde Cini (Valencia Triathlon), 2: 13.50; Louise Lefebvre (Mulhouse ON), 2: 14.27; Fantine Lesaffre (Vanves Stadium), 2: 14.95
TOP 8 QUALIFIERS:
- Louise Lefebvre – 2:16.51
- Lilou Ressencourt – 2:16.57
- Lila Touili – 2:17.50
- Pauline Mahieu – 2:18.58
- Claire Bourse – 2:18.64
- Julia Scrivin – 2:19.71
- Clothilde Cousson – 2:20.06
- Lisa Pou – 2:20.60
Louise Lefebvre took the top seed for finals, touching in 2:16.51. That time was a little over 2 seconds off Lefebvre’s seed time of 2:14.27. Lilou Ressencourt was just behind Lefebvre, clocking a 2:16.57. Both swimmers were significantly off the both the FINA A cut of 2:11.53 and the French qualifying standard of 2:10.19. The top seed in the event, Mathilde Cini, did not swim this morning. Similarly, Fantine Lesaffre, who was seeded 3rd, did not swim either.
MEN’S 400 FREE
- FINE “A”: 3: 48.15
- Time to realize in series: 3: 47.05
- French record: 3: 43.85 – Yannick Agnel (Olympic Nice Swimming) – 23/03/2011 – Strasbourg
- Favorites: David Aubry (Montpellier Métropole Natation), 3: 48.81; Roman Fuchs (Amiens Métropole Nat.), 3: 49.19; Logan Fontaine (Vikings of Rouen), 3: 50.00
TOP 8 QUALIFIERS:
- Jordan Pouthain – 3:50.59
- Joris Bouchaut – 3:51.05
- Mehdi Lagili – 3:51.87
- David Aubry – 3:51.94
- Logan Fontaine – 3:52.53
- Tommy-Lee Camblong – 3:53.68
- Damien Joly – 3:53.69
- Paul Beaugrand – 3:55.95
Jordan Pouthain swam the fastest time this morning, clockign a 3:50.59 for the top seed for finals by roughly half a second. Joris Bouchaut was right behind, coming in at 3:51.05, while Mehdi Lagili rounded out the top 3 with a 3:51.87. David Aubry, who broke the French National Record in the 800 free last night, came in 4th this morning with a 3:51.94. Aubry, who was also the top seed coming into the meet, was 3 seconds off his seed time this morning. Based on how he’s swum in the rest of the meet, Aubry may be significantly faster tonight.
Damien Joly, who won the 1500 and was runner-up in the 800 last night, came in 7th this morning with a 3:53.69. No one in the field was under either the FINA A cut of 3:48.15, and the French qualifying standard for Worlds, which is 3:47.05.
WOMEN’S 200 IM
- FINE “A”: 2: 13.03
- Time to realize in series: 2: 12.58
- French record: 2: 09.37 – Camille Muffat (Olympic Nice Swimming) – 26/04/2009 – Montpellier
- Favorites: Fantine Lesaffre (Stade de Vanves), 2: 11.71; Cyrielle Duhamel (Béthune Pelican Club Stadium), 2: 12.68; Camille Dauba (CN Sarreguemines), 2: 15.36
TOP 8 QUALIFIERS:
- Cyrielle Duhamel – 2:14.20
- Fantine Lesaffre – 2:14.62
- Camille Dauba – 2:16.44
- Bertille Cousson – 2:18.44
- Juliette Drevet – 2:18.50
- Vera Lowe – 2:20.42
- Meghan Frouin – 2:20.86
- Marine Verot – 2:20.99
Cyrielle Duhamel, the 2nd seed coming into the meet, posted the fastest time this morning. Duhamel swam a 2:14.20, which was roughly 1.5 seconds off her seed time of 2:12.68. Fantine Lesaffre, the top seed coming into the meet, was 2nd this m0rning after touching in 2:14.62. Duhamel and Lesaffre swam very similar races, hitting the halfway mark at 1:03.00 and 1:03.01 respectively. Neither swimmer made the FINA A cut of 2:13.03, or the 2:12.58. Lesaffre was the only swimmer in the field with a seed time under the qualifying standard.
QUALIFIED FOR THE 2019 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS:
| WOMEN | TEST | GENTLEMEN |
| 50 freestyle | ||
| Charlotte Bonnet, Béryl Gastaldello | 100 freestyle | Mehdy Metella , Clément Mignon |
| Charlotte Bonnet | 200 freestyle | |
| 400 freestyle | ||
| 800 freestyle | ||
| Béryl Gastaldello | 1500 freestyle | David Aubry , Damien Joly |
| 50 back | Jeremy Stravius | |
| 100 back | ||
| 200 back | ||
| 50 breaststroke | ||
| 100 breaststroke | ||
| 200 breaststroke | ||
| 50 fly | ||
| Marie Wattel | 100 fly | Mehdy Metella |
| 200 fly | ||
| 200 medley | ||
| Fantine Lesaffre | 400 medley | |
| 4×100 NL | Clément Mignon, Mehdy Metella , Tom Paco Pedroni, Jeremy Stravius, Maxime Grousset | |
| 4×200 NL | ||
| 4 × 100 4N | ||
| 4 × 100 NL mixed | ||
| 4 × 100 4N mixte |
Why do the French constantly shoot themselves in the foot with their qualification standards. It’s like they don’t want to take their best team to Worlds.
Delusion of grandeur