2019 French Elite Nationals: Gastaldello Gets a 2nd Chance in 100 Back

French Elite National Championships 2019 – 50M

• Tuesday 16th to Sunday 21st April 2019
• Prelims 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
• French qualifying rules for 2019 World Championships
• Start list: available here
• Results: available here

For the second day in a row, Béryl Gastaldello narrowly missed the French Federation’s criteria to qualify in an individual event for 2019 World Championships in Gwangju. In an effort to encourage fast swimming in the morning, the FFN (Fédération Française de Natation) decided that there would be a minimum time to achieve in the heats, plus a top-two finish in finals, needed in order to make the World team this year.

On Tuesday, Gastaldello, entered in the 100 fly without a seed time, swam in the first heat of the morning with two other competitors. She won her heat by over 2 seconds touching in 58.46, but the qualifying time to hit in prelims was 58.30. In the final, Gastaldello won in 57.69, setting a Championship Record and putting up the top French time of the year, presumably earning a spot on the medley relay if nothing else.

Déjà Vu All Over Again

Wednesday morning, again swimming in the first heat of the 100 back without a seed time, Gastaldello went 1:00.59 to win her heat with what would be the fastest time of the morning. But it was just short of the 1:00.42 needed to satisfy the first half of the qualification criteria for Gwangju. However, this time, there was a twist. The started called “on your marks” twice for her heat. Gastaldello argued that the start put her at a disadvantage vis-à-vis the other heats, and France’s National Technical Director, Julien Issoulié, agreed. He ruled that Gastaldello will have the opportunity to make the Worlds team in the 100 back if she satisfies both criteria in finals: swims a 1:00.42 or better and finishes in the top-2.