2026 French Elite Championships: Day 1 Finals Live Recap

2026 FRENCH ELITE CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Saturday, June 27th – Thursday, July 2nd
• Piscine Raymond Sommet, Saint-Etienne, France
• LCM (50m)
• French Selection Criteria for European Championships
• Meet Central
• Event Schedule
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results
• SwimSwam Meet Preview
• SwimSwam Recaps
  • Prelims: Day 1

The first finals session of the 2026 French Elite Championships, which serves as the qualification meet for French swimmers to earn berths to this summer’s European Championships, kicks off tonight at Piscine Raymond Sommet in Saint-Etienne, France. Finals will be contested in the women’s 800m freestyle, men’s 100m breaststroke, women’s 200m backstroke, men’s 50m butterfly, women’s 100m freestyle, and men’s 400m IM.

Stay tuned for live updates.

Women’s 800m Freestyle — Final

• 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 European Championship Qualifying Time: 8:29.00

GOLD – Lou-Ann Gaudaire, 8:35.08
SILVER – Alexa Reyna, 8:36.64
BRONZE – Laura Gourgeon, 8:44.25

In the midst of Anastasia Kirpichnikova‘s unknown absence, it was all about Lou-Ann Gaudaire and Alexa Reyna in the women’s 800m freestyle final.

Gaudaire led Reyna from start to finish, but no more than a body length separated the duo at one point during the race, with Gaudaire ultimately getting to the wall in 8:35.08 to Reyna’s 8:36.64, with Laura Gourgeon rounding out the top three with a time of 8:44.25.

According to World Aquatics’ database, Gaudaire sliced over 20 seconds off her former best of 8:55.17 from the Giant Open in March, while Reyna dropped just over a second off her 8:37.65 best from the 2022 European Junior Championships. Gourgeon has been as quick as 8:42.61, also at the Giant Open.

Unfortunately, no swimmers were able to dip under France’s European Championship Qualifying Time of 8:29.00.

Men’s 100m Breaststroke — Final

• World Record: 56.88 – Adam Peaty, GBR (2019) 
• World Junior Record: 59.01 — Nicolo Martinenghi, ITA (2017)
• French Record: 58.64 – Hugh Duboscq (2009)
• French European Championship Qualifying Time: 59.75

GOLD – Carl Aitkaci, 59.81
SILVER – Antoine Viquerat, 1:00.43
BRONZE – Sebastien Capogna, 1:00.79

Antoine Viquerat got off to the strongest start in the men’s 100m breast final, hitting the 50m turn with the only sub-28 split of the field at 27.80.

The back half belonged to Carl Aitkaci, who charged home in the sole sub-32 split of the evening, 31.61, to secure the win by 0.61 over Viquerat, 59.81 to 1:00.43, with Sebastien Capogna (1:00.79) taking bronze.

Aitkaci threw down a 59.43 in the heats, breaking the one-minute barrier for the first time after entering the meet with a lifetime best of 1:00.22 from when he won bronze in this event a year ago. His time fell a painful 0.06 outside the French European Championship qualifying time, assuming prelim swims are not being considered.

Viquerat, meanwhile, was a few tenths outside his 1:00.04 best from the 2024 edition of these championships.

Capogna improved on his 1:00.98 from this morning’s prelims; coming into the meet, his best was the 1:01.34 he swam at the Canet stop of the Mare Nostrum Series last month.

Women’s 200m Backstroke – Final

• World Record: 2:03.14 – Kaylee McKeown, AUS (2023)
• World Junior Record: 2:03.35 – Regan Smith, USA ( 2019)
• French Record: 2:06.64 – Laure Manaudou (2008)
• French European Championship Qualifying Time: 2:10.89

GOLD – Bertille Cousson, 2:08.67 *Qualifying Time*
SILVER – Pauline Mahieu, 2:11.71
BRONZE – Lou-Anne Guiton, 2:12.28

Bertille Cousson had the swim of her life en route to dominating the women’s 200m backstroke final from the very first stroke.

Cousson split 30.06/32.30/32.80/33.51 on her way to a final time of 2:08.67, with Pauline Mahieu (2:11.71) and Lou-Anne Guiton (2:12.28) securing silver and bronze.

Cousson’s time not only dipped under the 2:10.89 European Championship qualifying time but also obliterated her former best of 2:10.89 from the 2025 Giant Open.

Mahieu, the defending champion, boasts a best of 2:08.28 from this meet last year, while Guiton was as quick as 2:11.10 at December’s 17e Meeting des Hortillons.

Men’s 50m Butterfly – Final

• World Record: 22.27 – Andriy Govorov, UKR (2018) 
• World Junior Record: 22.96 – Diogo Ribeiro, POR (2022)
• French Record: 22.48 – Maxime Grousset (2025)
• French European Championship Qualifying Time: 23.24

GOLD – Michel Arkhangelsky, 22.91
SILVER – Nikita Baez, 23.26
BRONZE – Clement Secchi, 23.38

Michel Arkhangelsky proved untouchable in the men’s 50m butterfly final, clocking 22.91 to earn the win ahead of Nikita Baez (23.26) and Clement Secchi (23.38), the only other swimmers to crack 23.6.

Arkhangelsky plans to represent Bahrain internationally, making him ineligible for a spot on France’s European Championship team. His swim nonetheless trimmed six hundredths off his lifetime best from this meet a year ago.

Baez, meanwhile, fell just two hundredths short of the 23.24 qualifying time; he would have made the grade had he matched the 23.23 he produced at the 2025 edition of this meet.

Secchi owns a PB of 23.31 from last year’s championships.

As a reminder, French record holder and reigning world champion Maxime Grousset fractured the base of his second metatarsal on his left foot during a training jump and was forced to withdraw from the competition. According to L’Equipe, his recovery time is approximately four weeks, which puts his attendance at the European Championships in serious doubt, though he could still be named to the team if he returns to health and open spots remain on the French roster in his best events.

Women’s 100m Freestyle – Final

• 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 European Championship Qualifying Time: 54.10

GOLD – Marie Wattel, 53.96 *Qualifying Time*
SILVER – Beryl Gastaldello, 54.10 *Qualifying Time*
BRONZE – Mary-Ambre Moluh, 54.15

For the first time on the evening, not one but two swimmers secured European Championship qualifying times in the women’s 100 free.

Marie Wattel led from start to finish, splitting 25.77/28.19 to post the only sub-54 swim of the night at 53.96.

Beryl Gastaldello was the only other swimmer to open under 26 seconds, splitting 25.94 before holding off a hard-charging duo of Mary-Ambre Moluh and Albane Cachot over the final 50 to take second in 54.06.

Moluh clocked 54.15 for bronze, with Cachot logging 54.25 to make it four swimmers under 54.6.

In terms of personal bests, Wattel owns a 53.12 from the 2021 Olympic Games, Gastaldello swam 53.30 at last July’s World Championships, Moluh notched 54.08 at the 2024 French Championships, and Cachot produced 54.17 at last summer’s European Junior Championships.

Men’s 400m IM – Final

• World Record: 4:02.50 – Leon Marchand, FRA (2023)
• World Junior Record: 4:10.02 – Ilya Borodin, RUS (2021)
• French Record:  4:02.50 – Leon Marchand (2023)
• French World Championship Qualifying Time: 4:15.05

GOLD – 
SILVER – 
BRONZE –