2026 French Elite Championships: Day 3 Prelims Recap; Marchand Misses 200 Breast Final

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 | Day 2
  • Finals: Day 1 | Day 2

Leon Marchand returned to the pool for day 3 of the 2026 French Elite Championships, however he will not be back this evening after shockingly finishing 9th in the men’s 200 breast.

The reigning Olympic champion in the event, Marchand took the race out relatively hard through the first half, splitting 1:02.40, and was still on track to take top spot at the 150 mark after a 35.06 split. However, a brutal 38.70 on the final 50 saw him slip down the field as he touched in 2:16.16, with overall splits of 1:02.40/1:13.76.

It has emerged since that he experienced a muscle strain in his abductor during the race, which would explain the disparity in his splits. His status for the rest of the meet is currently uncertain, with the star currently receiving treatment and further decisions to be made tomorrow morning.

Under Section 3 of the French selection criteria, a swimmer may enter an additional event at the European Championships provided that they have already qualified individually, and that they have achieved the qualifying standard between June 16, 2025, and July 2, 2026. However, this must be done at a FFN-recognised event, and neither the Pro Swim Series, nor the Speedo Fort Lauderdale Open, the meets where he has swum the 200 breast in the last 12 months, appear to fall under this criteria.

Section 5.3 does allow for exemptions from the qualification process, to be granted by the National Team Director. If Marchand does plan to swim the event in Paris later this summer, this would likely be the provision used.

Lucien Vergnes ended up taking top spot for tonight’s final in 2:12.23, nearly two seconds clear of Antoine Marc. Emelien Mattenet, the 400 IM runner up, got the better of Marchand by 0.02 seconds to place 8th. Carl Aitkaci, who won the 100 breast last night in 59.81, was 5th in 2:15.30, however has scratched the final.

Lilou Ressencourt was the fastest women in the 100 fly by nearly a second, clocking a dominant 58.48 ahead of Adelaide Meuter‘s 59.40. That was less than half a second off Ressencourt’s 58.02 PB from this meet last year, and after a pair of PBs in the 50 fly yesterday she is looking good for her main event, the 200 fly, later this week.

Top seed, French record holder, and last night’s 50 fly champ Marie Wattel was out fastest in 27.07, but closed in 32.94 as she touched just outside the minute barrier in 1:00.01. That was enough for 5th, but she will need a stronger back end this evening if she is to add a third event to her European Championships lineup.

Michel Arkhangelskiy, two days removed from setting an Asian record of 22.91 in the 50 fly, claimed top spot in the men’s 100 fly in 51.91. Youssef Ramadan touched in 52.37 for second overall, with Clement Secchi the top Frenchman with a 52.44 for third.

Angel Exposito (52.55) and Stanislas Huille (52.60) were close behind although will need to drop down to 51.81 to stand a chance of qualifying for the team for the European Championships.

Secchi and Arkhangelskiy both swam their lifetime bests in the final last year, with Secchi edging the Bahraini swimmer out 51.06 to 51.24. French record holder Maxime Grousset won that race, and is missing these championships as he rehabs a foot injury, but is likely to make the team if he recovers in time for the start of the European Championships in August.

Mary-Ambre Moluh was the only swimmer under 28 seconds in the 50 back, slicing 0.01 seconds off her personal best in 27.42. That is just 0.15 off Analia Pigree‘s French record of 27.27, and moves Moluh up to 11th in the world so far this season, although 4th among European women.

Pigree was second this morning in 28.04, a single hundredth ahead of Beryl Gastaldello‘s 28.05. Paulien Mahieu clocked 28.29 for 4th, meanig we will see all of France’s top four performers in this event in action tonight.

Cyrielle Duhamel rebounded from placing 2nd in the 100 breast last night by claiming lane 4 in the women’s 400 IM final tonight. She clocked 4:48.57 to lead Alexa Reyna by exactly seven seconds, with only five swimmers cracking 5:00. Duhamel clocked her PB of 4:38.38 at this meet last year.