2022 French Elite Championships: Day 4 Finals Live Recap

2022 FRENCH ELITE CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Tuesday, April 5th – Sunday, April 10th
• Limoges Métropole, France
• LCM (50m)
• World Championships & European Championships Qualifier
• FFN Selection Policy
• Entries
• Results

World Championships spots will be up for grabs in six more events on the fourth night of finals from the 2022 French Elite Championships, with several intriguing matchups on the docket.

Kicking things off will be the men’s 200 IM, where Leon Marchand‘s Worlds slot appears to be at risk despite the fact he set a new National Record just last weekend.

At the French Elite Championships in December, Mewen Tomac produced a time of 1:59.73 to win the 200 IM final, getting him under the qualifying time of 1:59.76. That puts him ahead of Marchand in the pecking order, with that meet having priority over the Tokyo Olympics, where Marchand clocked 1:58.30.

In this morning’s prelims, Enzo Tesic put up a time of 1:59.68. If he’s able to be under the 1:59.76 mark once again in the final, Marchand would lose his Worlds spot in the event, assuming we’re interpreting the criteria correctly. If no swimmers dip under the time, Marchand’s spot would be locked in.

Tesic was only third-fastest this morning, with Jaouad Syoud setting a new Algerian Record of 1:58.12 to qualify first and Switzerland’s Jeremy Desplanches (1:59.01) in second.

We’ll also see the women’s 200 fly, men’s 200 back, women’s 100 free, and the men’s and women’s 200 breast.

The women’s 100 free may present the best chance for Beryl Gastaldello to qualify for the team, with the top-four potentially earning a slot for the 400 free relay. Charlotte Bonnet (54.47) and Marie Wattel (54.81) went 1-2 in the prelims, and both have already established times fast enough to qualify individually from the Olympics (the cut is 54.25). Gastaldello was seventh this morning in 55.82.

Youngster Justine Delmas will need to be 2:25.91 or better to qualify in the women’s 200 breast, having set the French Record of 2:25.12 last summer. Delmas was 2:26.76 in December.

In the men’s 200 breast, Antoine Viquerat is in position to qualify after going 2:09.54 in Tokyo. Antoine Marc, who won the December championships in 2:11.57, led the prelims in 2:14.61 and will need to be 2:10.32 or better to qualify for Worlds in the final.

Men’s 200 IM Final

• French Record: 1:56.95, Leon Marchand, 2022
• FFN Worlds Cut: 1:59.76

1. Jaouad Syoud (ALG), 1:58.93
2. Enzo Tesic (FRA), 1:59.78
3. Emilien Mattenet (FRA), 2:01.23

After setting a new National Record of 1:58.12 in the prelims, Algerian native Jaouad Syoud picked up the win in the men’s 200 IM final with a time of 1:58.93, using a strong front-half to get out ahead of the field and ultimately win by over eight-tenths.

Placing second was Frenchman Enzo Tesic, who narrowly misses the World Championship qualification standard (1:59.76) by two one-hundredths in 1:59.78. Tesic was under it in the prelims at 1:59.68, a new best time, but he needed to do it at night for it to count towards Budapest qualification.

As a result, Leon Marchand‘s World Championship spot is solidified. Marchand was 1:58.30 at the Olympics last summer, giving him the #2 priority behind Mewen Tomac, who was 1:59.73 at the French Elite Championships in December.

Switzerland’s Jeremy Desplanches, the 2021 Olympic bronze medalist in the event, won the ‘B’ final in a time of 1:59.12, just off his prelim showing of 1:59.01.

Women’s 200 Fly Final

• French Record: 2:05.09, Aurore Mongel, 2009
• FFN Worlds Cut: 2:09.21

1. Tabatha Avetand (FRA), 2:10.83
2. Lilou Ressencourt (FRA), 2:11.25
3. Sharon van Rouwendaal (NED), 2:12.01

Tabatha Avetand edged out Lilou Ressencourt by half a second on the last 50 to win the women’s 200 fly in a time of 2:10.83, bettering her previous best by almost a full second.

Avetand set her previous PB of 2:11.77 just over a month ago at the Jean-Boiteux Grand Prix in Bordeaux. France won’t have any representatives in this event at the World Championships, with the qualifying time standing at 2:09.21.

Ressencourt, who won the French Elite Championships in Decmber in 2:11.61, dipped under her previous best (2:11.41) to take second in 2:11.25.

Dutch native Sharon van Rouwendaal, the 2016 Olympic gold medalist in the women’s 10km open water event, palced third in 2:12.01. van Rouwendaal owns a best of 2:08.74 from 2015 and recently went 2:10.67 in December.

Men’s 200 Back Final

• French Record: 1:56.10, Yohann Ndoye Brouard, 2021
• FFN Worlds Cut: 1:58.07

1. Mewen Tomac (FRA), 1:56.74
2. Yohann Ndoye Brouard (FRA), 1:57.90
3. Antoine Herlem (FRA), 1:58.83

Mewen Tomac and Yohann Ndoye Brouard secured their World Championship spots in the men’s 200 back by going 1-2 in the final here in Limoges Métropole, with Tomac roaring to a big win in a time of 1:56.74.

The time for Tomac marks a new best time, having previously been 1:56.82 in June. The 20-year-old Olympian opened up a big early lead and held firm down the stretch, keeping both of his back-half 50s sub-30.

Tomac also moves into #1 in the world, overtaking American Ryan Murphy (1:56.78).

Ndoye Brouard, who was a semi-finalist in this event at the Tokyo Olympics, closed strong in 29.03 to secure second in 1:57.90, taking out Antoine Herlem (1:58.83) who was ahead of him by over a second at the 150.

Ndoye Brouard was 1:56.83 in Tokyo, but Herlem went 1:58.01 at the championships in December. So coming in, Herlem was in position to qualify for Budapest if two other men didn’t get under the ‘A’ cut in the final, but since Tomac and Ndoye Brouard both did, Herlem is out.

Joining those three sub-1:59 was Geoffroy Mathieu, who touched in 1:58.96 for fourth.

Women’s 100 Free Final

• French Record: 52.74, Charlotte Bonnet, 2018
• FFN Worlds Cut: 54.25

1. Marie Wattel (FRA), 53.71
2. Charlotte Bonnet (FRA), 53.74
3. Mary-Ambre Moluh (FRA), 55.26

Marie Wattel and Charlotte Bonnet mirrored one another throughout the entirety of the women’s 100 freestyle final, flipping matching 25.93s at the 50 before Wattel edged out Bonnet at the touch, 53.71 to 53.74.

Both women add a second event to their World Championship schedules as Wattel already won the women’s 100 fly and Bonnet claimed the 200 free. The two swimmers posted respective times of 53.12 and 53.67 at the Tokyo Olympics which had them in position to qualify coming in.

16-year-old Mary-Ambre Moluh continued her standout performance at this meet by taking third in 55.26, .01 off her best time set in the prelims.

Fourth went to Lucile Tessariol in 55.50, while Beryl Gastaldello took fifth in 55.51.

The add-up time from the top four finishers comes in at 3:37.97, with the FFN’s standard listed at 3:37. So it’s possible Tessariol can get added to the team for the 400 free relay, with Moluh having already booked her ticket in the 50 and 100 back.

Men’s 200 Breast Final

• French Record: 2:08.94, Hughes Duboscq, 2008
• FFN Worlds Cut: 2:10.32

1. Antoine Viquerat (FRA), 2:10.75
2. Antoine Marc (FRA), 2:13.51
3. Thomas Le Pape (FRA), 2:14.45

Antoine Viquerat recorded consistent splits en route to a big victory in the men’s 200 breaststroke, opening up in 30.0 before holding 33s the rest of the way and finishing in 2:10.75.

Although Viquerat falls shy of the qualifying time of 2:10.32, he was under at the Tokyo Olympics (2:09.54) and therefore officially books his ticket to the World Championships. Viquerat was 12th in Tokyo.

Antoine Marc came in with a chance of approaching the qualifying time after going 2:11.57 in December, but he fell off Viquerat’s pace on the third 50 and finished well back, second in 2:13.51.

Thomas Le Pape set a personal best of 2:14.45 in third, overtaking Thomas Boursac Cervera Lortet (2:14.79) on the last 50 after Boursac led the entire field at the halfway mark (1:03.53).

Women’s 200 Breast Final

• French Record: 2:25.12, Justine Delmas, 2021
• FFN Worlds Cut: 2:25.91

1. Justine Delmas (FRA), 2:28.71
2. Adele Blanchetiere (FRA), 2:29.62
3. Fantine Lesaffre (FRA), 2:30.58

Justine Delmas was victorious in the women’s 200 breaststroke but finished well off her best time and missed the World Championship standard.

Delmas clocked 2:28.71, well shy of the time required to qualify for Budapest (2:25.91). The 17-year-old won the European Junior title last year in what remains her best time of 2:25.12.

Adele Blanchetiere was the runner-up in 2:29.62, having hit her best in March at 2:27.54.

Veteran Fantine Lesaffre rounds out the podium in 2:30.58, also off her lifetime best of 2:26.48 set three years ago.

FRENCH WORLDS TEAM TRACKER – THRU DAY 4

Despite not being in attendance, Leon Marchand was one of two swimmers to officially book his ticket to the 2022 World Championships on Friday, with his 200 IM swim from Tokyo putting him through to Budapest. Antoine Viquerat also qualified by virtue of an Olympic swim in the men’s 200 breast. Marchand will be eligible to join him in that event thanks to his 200 breast swim at the Pro Swim Series last week, which was his alternate qualifying meet.

Update: Marchand actually qualified officially earlier on in the competition in the 200 fly.