2024 French Elite Championships: Day 1 Prelims Live Recap

2024 FRENCH ELITE CHAMPIONSHIPS

The first session of the French Elite Championships kick off this morning on Sunday, June 16th. Six events will be contested this morning while five of them serve as a potential Olympic qualification event.

Numerous National Record holders will compete this morning. Marie Wattel looks to qualify for the Olympics and make the podium once again in the 100 fly after winning silver in Budapest in 2022. Highlighting the men’s side is Maxime Grousset who will take on the 50 fly and also scheduled to battle it out with London 2012 Olympic champion Florent Manaudou 

WOMEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY – PRELIMS

  • French National Record: Marie Wattel 56.14
  • 2024 Olympic Qualifying Time: 57.92

Top 8:

  1. Marie Wattel, 58.74
  2. Lilou Ressencourt, 59.74
  3. Lili-Rose Berthelot, 1:00.45
  4. Maty Ndoye-Brouard, 1:00.65
  5. Marine Jehl, 1:01.06
  6. Adelaide Meuter, 1:01.32
  7. Laly Ansart, 1:01.39
  8. Tabatha Avetand, 1:01.52

Lilou Ressencourt was the first swimmer to crack the 1:00 barrier this morning as she swam to a 59.74. She holds a best time of a 58.48 from earlier this year and will look to get under the Olympic Qualifying Time tonight. She will battle it out next to Marie Wattel who was the top seed coming into the event. Ressencourt is headed to Cal this fall.

Wattel, the National Record holder, looks to return to the Olympics in the event after finishing 6th in the event in Tokyo. A year later, Wattel won silver at the 2022 World Championships in Budapest. Wattel swam a 58.74 this morning, right off her season best of a a 58.71. Wattel swam a 57.13 at the 2023 World Championships so she has already been under the Olympic Qualifying Time during the qualifying period.

MEN’S 100 BREASTSTROKE— PRELIMS

  • French National Record: Hugues Duboscq 58.64
  • 2024 Olympic Qualifying Time: 59.79

Top 8:

  1. Antoine Marc, 1:00.75
  2. Carl Aitkaci, 1:01.04
  3. Kacper Pastula, 1:01.38
  4. Jeremie Delbois, 1:01.64
  5. Antoine Viquerat, 1:01.70
  6. Millian Boucher, 1:02.06
  7. Brendan Fitzpatrick, 1:02.18
  8. Benjamin Goguey, 1:02.86

No men were under the 1:00 mark this morning in the 100 breaststroke which also means they were off of the Olympic Qualifying Time of a 59.79. Despite this, Antoine Marc led the way in a 1:00.75, much faster than his entry time of a 1:01.48 that sat him as the #5 seed. He now heads into tonight as the top seed. Carl Aitkaci was just off his seed time of a 1:01.03 as he swam a 1:01.04 this morning.

WOMEN’S 400 FREESTYLE – PRELIMS

  • French National Record: Camille Muffat 4:01.14
  • 2024 Olympic Qualifying Time: 4:07.90

Top 8:

  1. Anastasiia Kirpichnikova, 4:10.00
  2. Lucile Tessariol, 4:17.09
  3. Anna Egorova, 4:17.79
  4. Valentine Leclercq, 4:18.03
  5. Lisa Pou, 4:21.25
  6. Lean Cabon, 4:21.36
  7. Laura Gourgeon, 4:21.59
  8. Clemence Coccordano, 4:21.65

Leading the way this morning was Anastasiia Kirpichnikova. Kirpichnikova will look to sneak under the OQT of a 4:07.90 to earn another bid to the Olympic Games. She swam at the 2020(1) Tokyo Games representing Russia swimming in the 400, 800, and 1500 freestyles. She finaled in both the 800 and 1500 after swimming the 5th fastest time out of prelims before finishing 6th in the 1500 and 8th in the 800. Kirpichnikova is also entered in the 200, 800, and 1500 freestyles later in the meet.

Lucile Tessariol was about seven seconds off of her personal best time that she swam at the 2023 French Elite Championships. The 20 year old will swim next to Kirpichnikova tonight.

MEN’S 400 FREESTYLE — PRELIMS

  • French National Record: Yannick Agnel 3:43.85
  • 2024 Olympic Qualifying Time: 3:47.91

Top 8:

  1. David Aubry, 3:50.77
  2. Ahmed Jaouadi, 3:50.87
  3. Tommy-Lee Camblong, 3:51.42
  4. Paul Beaugrand, 3:52.38
  5. Joris Bouchaut, 3:53.68
  6. Pierre Largeron, 3:53.80
  7. Pacome Bricout, 3:54.14
  8. Damien Joly, 3:54.44

In an impressively consistent showing, David Aubry led the way in prelims of the 400 free with a 3:50.77. Aubry was out in a 1:55.10 at the 200 mark and came home in a 1:55.67 on the final 200, even splitting the race. Aubry was the #2 seed coming in with a 3:46.40 entry time which he swam in prelims at the 2024 World Championships to finish 9th, missing out of the final by 0.20 seconds.

Ahmed Jaouadi came in as the top seed and was just off of Aubry’s time with a 3:50.87. Jaouadi split the race much differently as he was out in a 1:52.83 at the 200 mark before coming home in a 1:58.04.

WOMEN’S 100 BREASTSTROKE— PRELIMS

  • French National Record: Charlotte Bonnet 1:07.30
  • 2024 Olympic Qualifying Time: 1:06.79

Top 8:

  1. Charlotte Bonnet, 1:07.75
  2. Lucie Vasquez, 1:09.12
  3. Florine Gaspard, 1:09.25
  4. Chloe Braun, 1:09.99
  5. Adele Blanchetier, 1:10.29
  6. Romane Hereng, 1:11.19
  7. Louann Soulrd, 1:11.69
  8. Anastasia Urbaniak, 1:11.72

National Record holder Charlotte Bonnet was out fast this morning and did not look back. Bonnet swam to the top seed for tonight with a 1:07.75. She was out in a 31.25 and came home in a 36.50. Bonnet will need to surpass her National Record tonight to earn the OQT of a 1:06.79 but this morning’s swim was a good sign.

The 29-year-old Bonnet will look to make her 4th Olympics as she notably swam the individual 100 free in Tokyo and was also a member of the women’s 4×100 free relay and 4×200 free relay as well. Bonnet also looks to swim the breaststroke leg of the medley relay after the country qualified all seven relays for Paris.

Also out fast this morning was Florine Gaspard as she swam a 31.57 on the first 50 before coming home in a 37.68  to be the #3 seed heading into tonight.

MEN’S 50 BUTTERFLY — PRELIMS

Top 8:

  1. Florent Manaudou, 22.87
  2. Maxime Grousset, 22.89
  3. Michel Arkhangelsky, 23.29
  4. Clement Secchi, 23.40
  5. Thomas Piron, 23.53
  6. Stanislas Oil, 23.85
  7. Louis Briesch, 23.86
  8. Guillaume Guth, 23.88

As expected, Florent Manaudou and Maxime Grousset topped the qualifiers in the 50 butterfly. Manaudou posted the fastest time of the morning with a 22.87 in the second-to-last heat before Grosset posted a 22.89 to close the morning. Manaudou said he planned to scratch the final; as he does every year, he swims in heats of the 50 fly to get into the racing spirit. (He also plans to swim heats of the 100 free to get a time for an eventual relay qualification, but he will not compete in the final.) No Olympic spots will be on the line in the event tonight as the 50 fly is not contested at the Olympic level.

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Swimfan27
8 days ago

So, Grousset doesn’t want to swim the 100 free individually at the Olympics, but he wants to do it here in prelims just to be in contention for the relay? Why is that?

Adrian
Reply to  Swimfan27
8 days ago

I think he want to focus his efforts in the 50 free, which is his best medal chance.

Last edited 8 days ago by Adrian
dawser
Reply to  Swimfan27
8 days ago
Wirotomo
Reply to  Swimfan27
8 days ago

From the article, it looks like Manaudou who wants to do that. Not Grousset.

Daddy Foster
8 days ago

Pretty pedestrian times

EXCALIBUR
Reply to  Daddy Foster
8 days ago

we weren’t expecting better ones to be honest , except from the 3,4 French stars

RealCrocker5040
8 days ago

I’m not going to lie that 22.87 50 Fly from Manaudou is a very good sign

NornIron Swim
8 days ago

Does anyone know why they’re doing stroke 50s for these Olympic trials? Or is it because it’s technically the Elite Champs?

Dom from France
Reply to  NornIron Swim
8 days ago

To award the title of champion of France. It is above all the French championships that are also used for the Olympic selections.

NornIron Swim
Reply to  Dom from France
8 days ago

Merci.

Dom from France
8 days ago

At the June 15 press conference, Léon Marchand said he was coming, not only to qualify, but also to make times that would allow him to be better ranked in the Olympic heats. We can expect some performances in the 4 races in which he will participate.

EXCALIBUR
Reply to  Dom from France
8 days ago

His best time in the 100 breast from recently would probably give him the 1st place ( he was a 59 low ) – But of course he is not swimming it . Amazing

Adrian
Reply to  EXCALIBUR
8 days ago

I mean there is no need for him to swim it here. France won’t have an individual swimmer qualify for 100 breast, Leon will be in the medley relay for sure.

Last edited 8 days ago by Adrian
Lopez
8 days ago

Almost pb from Flo, it’s 22.84 from 2015 when he went 21.1

CasualSwimmer
Reply to  Lopez
8 days ago

He’s on it 🦍

CasualSwimmer
8 days ago

Marie Wattel didn’t get a silver medal in Tokyo, but she did get one in Budapest (2022)

Troyy
8 days ago

Live result page is abominable.

ooo
Reply to  Troyy
8 days ago

Yes, hard to read. “En Direct” is better but only for the current event.

Tani
Reply to  Troyy
8 days ago

Vous devez apprendre le francais!

Troyy
Reply to  Tani
8 days ago

The language is not the problem.

About Anya Pelshaw

Anya Pelshaw

Anya has been with SwimSwam since June 2021 as both a writer and social media coordinator. She was in attendance at the 2022 and 2023 Women's NCAA Championships writing and doing social media for SwimSwam. Currently, Anya is pursuing her B.A. in Economics and a minor in Government & Law at …

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