2021 French Olympic Trials: Day 4 Finals Live Recap

2021 FRENCH ELITE SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

We’re back and we’re live for day 4 of the French Olympic Championship in Chartres, France.

In one of the shortest sessions of the meet, there will only be 3 Olympic-qualifying events in the form of the men’s 200 breaststroke, the women’s 200 butterfly, as well as the men’s 100 freestyle.

MEN’S 50 BACKSTROKE

Mewen Tomac and Yohann Ndoye Brouard have yet again delivered a top 2 performance in the men’s backstroke, adding to their podium finishes in the 100 backstroke earlier on in the meet.

Tomac was victorious here, as he was in the 100, and managed to dip under 25 seconds with a 24.87 for the gold medal. That swim for Tomac was quicker than his morning swim of 25.36 and an improvement upon his PB heading into the meet of 24.94 from December 2020.

Brouard’s silver medal-winning time was a 25.10 which is faster than his 25.36 morning swim but not quite at his PB from 2020 of 24.94.

Brouard out-touched countrymate Jeremy Stravius by just 0.01 seconds as bronze medalist Stravius notched a 25.11.  Stanislas Huille rounded out the top 4 with a 25.56, adding 0.10 from his morning swim of 25.46.

WOMEN’S 50 BACKSTROKE

  • 27.81 – Analia Pigree (2021)

This 100 backstroke heat was quick.

Both of the top 2 finishers managed to swim under Analia Pigree’s newly minted French record of 27.81 from the prelims. Pigree took the NR this morning from Beryl Gastaldello who held it at a 27.86 which she set back in 2018.

Pigree has swum 2 best times today, having entered the meet with a 28.30 meaning that she’s almost shaved a second off her PB.

Mary-Ambre Moluh was also under Pigree’s morning national record with a 27.76 which is her second French national age group record of the day.

Swiss native Nina Kost was the 3rd fastest swimmer in the final and hit a 28.48 which is actually a little slower than her morning swim of 28.36. Kost is the Swiss national record-holder in the event and holds the mark are at 28.09 which she set in March 2021.

Kost can’t win the bronze medal as she is not French meaning that Mathilde Cini will get the hardware with her time of 29.02. That was also a little over her time during the prelims of 28.99.

MEN’S 200 BREASTSTROKE

  • French Record: 2:08.94 – Hugues Duboscq (2009)
  • Olympic Qualifying Standards: 2:14.26 in prelims and 2:10.35 in A-final

It looks like Antoine Viquerat has become the newest addition to the French Olympic roster with his 2:10.21 gold medal-winning swim. That got him under the required time of 2:10.35 and should be good enough to get on the flight to Tokyo.

Viquerat’s swim doesn’t make him a favorite to final at the Games but it’s a positive sign for France who didn’t send any swimmers to Tokyo for breaststroke in 2016.

Viquerat was quite faster than he was during the prelims where he posted a 2:13.69. His PB before this was a 2:11.44.

The swim also allowed him to defeat top seed heading into the final Jeremy Desplanches who was a 2:13.49 in the morning and returned with a 2:13.07 in the final.

As Desplanches represents Switzerland, the silver medal will be given to Antoine Marc who swam a 2:13.51 in the final, and bronze will be Thomas Boursac Cervera Lortet with a 2:13.68.

WOMEN’S 200 BUTTERFLY

  • French Record: 2:05.09 – Aurore Mongel (2009)
  • Olympic Qualifying Standards: 2:12.28 in prelims and 2:08.43 in A-final

Lara Grangeon and Lucie Delmas delivered a solid race for gold during the women’s 200 butterfly.

Qualified to race 10km open water race in Tokyo, this is the 3rd race in which Grangeon has just missed out on Olympic qualifying in pool swimming. Grangeon took gold with a 2:11.16 but couldn’t quite get under the 2:08.43 she needed.

Lucie Delmas was right behind her and nabbed silver with a 2:11.57. Both Grangeon and Delmas improved from the morning where Delmas hit a 2:12.71 and Grangeon a 2:13.21.

Rounding out the podium, Lilou Ressencourt established a 2:12.46 for the bronze medal, shaving some time off her 2:14.82 in the heats.

Cyrielle Duhamel who has qualified to race the 200 IM in Tokyo followed with a 4th place finish in 2:14.63.

MEN’S 100 FREESTYLE

  • French Record: 46.94 – Alain Bernard (2009)
  • Olympic Qualifying Standards: 50.03 in prelims and 48.57 in A-final

It was all Maxime Grousset here in the men’s 100 freestyle final as he touched in a 47.89 which is well under the FINA A and should be good enough to get him into the event individually this summer.

The swim was quicker than the 47.99 he swam in prelims by 0.10 seconds and was 0.01 seconds under the 47.90 that he was entered with.

Florent Manaudou noticeably scratched the 100 freestyle final after swimming 0.01 seconds above the Olympic qualifying standard this morning.

Manaudou scratched the 100 freestyle but is already qualified to swim the 50 freestyle individually.

The silver medal here went to Charles Rihoux with a 48.81 which is a new PB, improving upon the 48.93 he swam this morning. Today was the first time that Rihoux was under 49 seconds, having held a PB of 49.04 prior to the meet which he swam at the 2021 European Swimming Championships.

While only Grousset got under the FINA A, another 3 men managed to crack 49 seconds here. Clément Mignon swam a 48.89 to take the bronze medal while Mehdy Metella notched a 48.93 for 4th and Julien Berol a 48.93 for 5th.

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CasualSwimmer
3 years ago

Manaudou has been selected for the 4×100 free relay

Bobo Gigi
3 years ago

Grousset, Manaudou, Metella, Mignon and Rihoux should be part of the men’s relay.

JP input is too short
Reply to  Bobo Gigi
3 years ago

Eh… be lucky to final with those, especially if Metella isn’t to his best and Manadou is hyper-focused on the 50.

Bobo Gigi
3 years ago

Slow times behind Grousset.

Bobo Gigi
3 years ago

Maxime Grousset wins the final in 47.89. New PB by 0.01s

Bobo Gigi
3 years ago

Men’s 100 free final coming up

Khachaturian
Reply to  Bobo Gigi
3 years ago

It would be nice to see Grousset as a podium contender at Tokyo

Bobo Gigi
Reply to  Khachaturian
3 years ago

He’s a contender for the final.
Winning the gold will be the goal in Paris.

nuotofan
Reply to  Bobo Gigi
3 years ago

For Paris 2024 I have at least 8 swimmers with more chances of gold..: so, Grousset contender for the final also at Paris 2024?

Bobo Gigi
Reply to  nuotofan
3 years ago

WE DON’T LOSE AT HOME!

Rafael
Reply to  Bobo Gigi
3 years ago

Frenchs don´t lose at home, they surrender

Texas Tap Water
Reply to  Rafael
3 years ago

Ouch. 🤭

Let’s ask the Germans how French surrendered.

Irish Ringer
Reply to  Bobo Gigi
3 years ago

I’m hoping you can win at least one at home, which is unlikely.

AnEn
Reply to  nuotofan
3 years ago

Yes, at least everyone who is faster already and of similar age (Miressi, Kolesnikov, Minakov, Chalmers, Dressel, Nemeth, Apple) and everyone who is younger and pretty close time-wise (Whittle, Popovici, Milak, Hwang). Also not sure if guys like Richards, Dean, Mityukov, Rylov or Alexy have a much smaller chance than Grousset.

Anyways: I think at this point it is pretty clear that Bobo is either trolling or just lost touch with reality.

Last edited 3 years ago by AnEn
nuotofan
Reply to  Khachaturian
3 years ago

Dressel, Chalmers, Kolesnikov, Miressi, Minakov, Apple: six swimmers with a faster PB than Grousset, and each of them wants swim his best at Tokyo. Anyway, good improvements for Grousset in this season, congrats.

Last edited 3 years ago by nuotofan
Bobo Gigi
Reply to  nuotofan
3 years ago

That’s why I only say he’s a contender for the final in Tokyo.
I’m realistic.

JP input is too short
Reply to  Bobo Gigi
3 years ago

And most of those guys are Grousset’s age or younger and even Dressel and Apple are young enough that they will still be around their primes in 2024… so not sure he has a better chance in Paris either.

Bobo Gigi
3 years ago

New NAG record again for 16-year-old Lucie Delmas in the 200 fly in 2.11.57

Bobo Gigi
3 years ago

A new qualified swimmer for Tokyo with Antoine Viquerat winning the men’s 200 breast in 2.10.21.
It was close. He has to do 2.10.35.

Bobo Gigi
3 years ago

If only we had the same kind of prospects in women’s breaststroke….
Why does breaststroke structurally struggle for a while on the women’s side?