2025 French Elite Championships: Day 4 Finals Live Recap

2025 FRENCH ELITE CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Saturday, June 14th – Thursday, June 19th
• Prelims at 8am local (2am ET)/Finals at 6pm local (Noon ET)
• Montpellier, France
• LCM (50m)
• Meet Central
• Entries
• Live Results
• Live Stream
• Live Recaps
  • Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3

We have made it to day four finals of the French National Championships, and there are six events on the docket for this evening.

As a reminder, Leon Marchand was granted an exception that allowed him to qualify for the World Championships from the Longhorn Elite Invite last month, and he is not competing here.

The fastest heat of the women’s 800 freestyle will lead off the meet with Anastasiia Kirpichnikova looking to pick up her 3nd event qualification of the meet, after she won the women’s 400 freestyle on Saturday and the 1500 freestyle on Sunday.

The men’s 200 backstroke is shaping up to be an exciting event with Antoine Herlem, who finished 3rd at last year’s Olympic trials, taking the top seed in 1:57.91 over the two French Olympians. Yohann Ndoye-Brouard and Mewen Tomac have already earned Worlds qualifications in the men’s 100 backstroke, where they finished 1st and 2nd respectively, and they will be looking to repeat that performance tonight.

The women’s 200 breaststroke will feature Adele Blanchetiere who will be attempting to swim under the World’s qualifying time while holding off Zia Dupont, who is less than half a second behind her.

The Men’s 50 breast top seed is Jérémie Delbois who swam a personal best time this morning to set a new National Record time of 27.34. Cal freshman Yamato Okadome qualified 2nd, and defending champion Carl Aitkaci who finished 4th in prelims. Nobody was under the French qualification standard this morning.

The women’s 100 freestyle will be a very close final with less than a second separating everyone in the heat. Beryl Gastaldello was your top qualifier this morning, coming in at 54.35 which was four tenths ahead of 2nd place qualifier Marina Jehl. Only three tenths separates Jehl from 7th place qualifier Mary-Ambre Moluh

Finally, the meet will wrap up with the men’s 200 IM. Leon Marchand is absent, which leaves the national title open for the taking. Jacques Saletes swam a season-best time of 2:02.39 this morning to earn the middle lane in the final, coming in thirteen-hundredths ahead of 2nd qualifier Jaouad Syoud’s 2:02.52.

Women’s 800 Freestyle- Finals

• World Record: 8:04.12 – Katie Ledecky, USA (2025)
• World Junior Record: 8:11.00 – Katie Ledecky, USA (2014)
• French Record: 8:18.80 – Laurie Manaudou (2007)
• French World Championship Qualifying Time: 8:26.71

Top 8 Finishers

1. Anastasiia Kirpichnikova (Montpellier)- 8:26.73
2. Carla Serra (Canet)- 8:40.76
3. Ines Delacroix (CN Brest)- 8:43.64
4. Laura Gourgeon (AIX)- 8:47.13
5. Valentine Leclercq (Grenoble Alp)- 8:48.24
6. Clemence Coccordano (Lile Metropole)- 8:51.24
7. Jamila Boulakbech (C Vikings)- 8:52.36
8. Alexa Reyna (ES Massy)- 8:53.91

Anastasiia Kirpichnikova completed her sweep of the distance events, coming in more than 14 seconds ahead of the rest of the field in the women’s 800 freestyle.

Her final time of 8:26.73 is eight seconds off the 8:18.77 mark she set at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, but is a new season best time by almost seven seconds dropping from the 8:35.14 she went at the beginning of May.

Carla Serra finished 2nd in 8:40.76, which was a new best time for her by almost five seconds. Her previous best was 8:45.31 from the end of May.

Rounding out the podium was Ines Delacroix in 8:43.64. This was a little over five seconds faster than her previous best of 8:48.72 from July 2023.

Men’s 200 Backstroke- Finals

• World Record: 1:51.92 – Aaron Piersol, USA (2009)
• World Junior Record: 1:55.14 – Kliment Kolesnikov, RUS (2017)
• French Record: 1:55.38 – Mewen Tomac (2024)
• French World Championship Qualifying Time: 1:57.50

Top 8 Finishers

1. Yohann Ndoye-Brouard (Annecy Dolphins)- 1:56.38
2. Antoine Herlem (Dolphins Toulouse)- 1:56.52
3. Mewen Tomac (IN Caen)- 1:56.83
4. Mathys Chouchaoui (Olympic Nice)- 1:57.41
5. Alexandre Desangles (Dolphins Toulouse)- 1:58.30
6. Mohamed-Yassine Ben Abbes (Grenoble Alp)- 1:58.35
7. Merlin Ficher (Montpellier Metropole)- 1:58.86
8. Simon Clusman (C Paul-Bert Rennes)- 1:59.81

Yohann Ndoye-Brouard took home the gold in the men’s 200 backstroke, touching in 1:56.38. This was a bit off his best of 1:55.62 from the European Championships in August of 2022, but this time was more than two seconds faster than the 1:58.65 he went at the Olympics last summer.

Antoine Herlem redeemed his 3rd place finish at last year’s trials to come in 2nd, more than three tenths ahead of National record holder Mewen Tomac. Herlem was out in 27.62, three tenths behind Tomac, but he made up almost all of that ground on the 2nd 50, flipping at 57.14 to Tomac’s 57.06. He was able to hold off a late charge from the Olympic finalist to earn the silver.

Tomac, who finished 4th at the Games last summer, finished 3rd, almost a second-and-a-half slower than his French record.

4th place finisher Mathys Chouchaoui swam 1:57.41 to drop more than a second and also swim under the French World Championship Qualifying time.

Women’s 200 Breaststroke- Finals

• World Record: 2:17.55 – Evgeniia Chikunova, RUS (2023)
• World Junior Record: 2:19.64 – Viktoriya Zeynep Gunes, TUR (2015)
• French Record: 2:25.12 – Justine Delmas (2021)
• French World Championship Qualifying Time: 2:23.91

Top 8 Finishers

1. Zia Dupont (Angers)- 2:30.33
2. Lucie Vasquez (ES Massy)- 2:30.70
3. Roos Vanotterdijk (Belgium)- 2:30.92
4. Adele Blanchertiere (Dolphins Toulouse)/Louann Soulard (CN Brest)- 2:31.35
5. —
6. Camille Tissandie (Canet 66)- 2:31.54
7. Romane Hereng (Montpellier Metropole)- 2:35.64
8. Laure Bar (Villejuif)- 2:36.33

Zia Dupont won a very close race in the women’s 200 breaststroke. Dupont was out in 3rd behind 3rd place finisher Roos Vanotterdijk and 4th place finisher Adele Blanchertiere, but she had a very strong back half and excellent final 50 of 38.37, to finish in 2:30.33, just off her best of 2:28.12 from June of last year.

Lucie Vasquez came in 2nd, also thanks to a strong back half. She was 4th after the first 50, but she slowly moved her way up the leaderboard, before passing Vanotterdijk on the 3rd 50 to move into first. She was not able to hold of Dupont’s excellent final 50, however, falling back to 2nd.

Vanotterdijk spent most of the race in 2nd place. She started behind Adele Blanchertiere for the first 100, and then Blanchertiere fell off and Vasquez took over. On the last 50, she dropped one more place to Dupont to ultimatley win the bronze

Top qualifier Blanchertiere was out fast, more than half-a-second ahead of the rest of the field, and the only swimmer under 1:12 on the first 100. She was not able to maintin this speed, however, ultimately tying for 4th with Louann Soulard at 2:31.35.

Men’s 50 Breaststroke- Finals

• World Record: 25.95 – Adam Peaty, GBR (2017)
• World Junior Record: 26.97 – Nicolo Martinenghi, ITA (2017)
• French Record: 27.34 – Jeremie Delbois (2025)
• French World Championship Qualifying Time: 27.20

Top 8 Finishers

1. Antoine Viquerat (Racing Club of France)- 27.02
2. Pierre Goudeneche (Girondins Bordeaux)- 27.10
3. Jérémie Delbois (Olympic Nice Swimming)- 27.16
4. Yamato Okadome (ASEC Natation)- 27.46
5. Carl Aitkaci (Stars 92)- 27.53
6. Lubin Viano (Grenoble ALP)- 27.85
7. Nikita Baez (Lyon Swimming Metropole)- 27.87
8. Henri Bonnault (Racing Club of France)- 28.10

That was a fast final. Coming into today the French national record was 27.36 by Giacomo Perez Dortona from the supersuit era in April of 2009, more than 16 years ago.

Then, Jérémie Delbois went 27.34 in the prelims to qualify first overall and break the record by two-hundredths.

Tonight, three men went under Delbois’ record from prelims. Antoine Viquerat from the Racing Club of France took the gold, and the new National Record, coming in at 27.02.

Pierre Goudeneche finished 2nd in 27.10, still more than two tenths under the previous record, six hundredths ahead of Delbois.

Former record holder Delbois rounded out the medalists, touching in 27.16 to drop almost two tenths from his morning swim.

Women’s 100 Freestyle- Finals

• World Record: 51.71 – Sarah Sjostrom, SWE (2017)
• World Junior Record: 52.70 – Penny Oleksiak, CAN (2016)
• French Record: 52.74 – Charlotte Bonnet (2018)
• French World Championship Qualifying Time: 53.61

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Beryl Gastaldello (Montpellier Metropole)- 53.60
2. Marina Jehl (Canet 66 Swimming)- 54.24
3. Marie Wattel (Montpellier Metropole)- 54.51
4. Albane Cachot (Dolphins Toulouse)- 54.61
5. Eloise Riley (Stars 92)- 54.84
6. Lison Nowaczyk (Bethune Pelican Club)/Mary-Ambre Moluh (US Creteil Swimming)- 54.91
7. —
8. Anastasia Urbaniak (SC Thionville)- 54.97

Beryl Gastaldello won her first title of the meet, swimming 53.60 to win the women’s 100 freestyle by six tenths of a second. This time was only two tenths off her lifetime best of 53.40 from 2020, and ties her third fastest swim ever.

Marina Jehl finished 2nd in 54.24, exactly a second drop from her best time of 55.24 from last June.

Marie Wattel earned the bronze at 54.51. Her best time is 53.12 from the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

18-year-old Albane Cachot took 4th with her 54.61, which was a four-hundredth drop from her previous best of 54.65 from April of this year.

Men’s 200 IM- Finals

• World Record: 1:54.00 – Ryan Lochte, USA (2011)
• World Junior Record: 1:56.99 – Hubert Kos (2021)
• French Record: 1:54.06 – Leon Marchand (2024)
• French World Championship Qualifying Time: 1:57.94

Top 8 Finishers

1. Emilien Mattenet (Carleville-Mezieres)- 2:00.55
2. Jaouad Syoud (Dolphins Toulouse)- 2:00.63
3. Tom Remy (Charleville-Mezieres)- 2:01.28
4. Jacques Saletes (Dolphins Toulouse)- 2:01.86
5. Alois Gargulak (Erstein Aquatic Club)- 2:03.70
6. Evan Galle-Michon (Grenoble ALP)- 2:04.22
7. Jules Remy (AIX Swimming Country)- 2:04.31
8. Millian Butcher (Dolphins Toulouse)- 2:05.99

The final event of the evening went to Emilen Mattenet in 2:00.55, eight-hundredths ahead of Jaouad Syoud‘s 2:00.63 in 2nd.

Mattenet was out almost a second behind Syoud in the fly, touching in 26.46 to Syoud’s 25.60.

Syoud extended his lead on the backstroke leg, due to his 30.13 split compared to Mattenet’s 31.34, giving him the lead by more than two seconds with his 55.73 first 100 to the 57.80 split from Mattenet.

The breaststroke also went in Syoud’s favor, but by a smaller margin, with him splitting 35.04, six-hundredths faster than Mattenet’s 35.10.

Mattenet had an absolutely monster freestyle leg, coming in at 27.65 to make up more than two seconds over Syoud’s 29.86, allowing him to grab the gold medal.