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
Welcome to the 4th finals session for the 2026 French Elite Championships!
There has been some fast swimming so far this week, and we could be in for some more tonight, even with the recently announced withdrawal of Leon Marchand, due to a hip injury.
On the schedule tonight, there are six individual event finals:
- Women’s 1500 freestyle
- Men’s 50 Breaststroke
- Women’s 100 Backstroke
- Men’s 50 Backstroke
- Women’s 200 Breaststroke
- Men’s 200 Freestyle
Ines Delacroix is the top seed in the women’s 1500 freestyle tonight in 16:29.24, about 15 seconds off the Paris selection time of 16:14.00.
In the men’s 50 breaststroke, Carl Aitkaci earned the top spot in 27.19, a tenth under the qualifying time of 27.30. He is not officially on the European Championships team yet, and will be looking to stay under that qualifying time in tonight’s final to lock up his spot.
The women’s 100 backstroke will see Mary-Ambre Moluh as the top seed and the only swimmer under 1:00 in this morning’s prelims session with her 59.66. Beryl Gastaldello is seeded 2nd after swimming 1:00.25.
Lysander Osman took the top seed in the men’s 50 backstroke prelims, touching in 24.89 to be the only sub-25 swimmer this morning. He will be trying to replicate that swim tonight after exactly tying the qualifying time of 24.89.
In the women’s 200 breaststroke, Melina Giraudeau and Lucie Vasquez will be racing for the top spot with Giraudeau holding the top seed at 2:30.38 and Vasquez coming in seeded 2nd at 2:30.86.
The final event of the session will be the men’s 200 freestyle, where 16-year-old Sauveur Cristofini swam 1:47.61 to be the top swimmer in prelims. He currently holds the French U17 record at 1:47.56, and he will be chasing an individual qualification in the event tonight.
Women’s 1500 Freestyle — Timed Final (Fastest Heat)
- World Record: 15:20.48 — Katie Ledecky, USA (2018)
- World Junior Record: 15:28.36 — Katie Ledecky, USA (2014)
- French Record: 15:40.35 — Anastasia Kirpichnikova (2024)
- French European Championships Qualifying Time: 16:14.00
Top 3 Finishers
- Gold: Lou-Ann Gaudaire — 16:22.76
- Silver: Ines Delacroix — 16:34.06
- Bronze: Alexa Reyna — 16:36.66
Lou-Ann Gaudaire won the women’s 1500 freestyle final heat with her time of 16:22.76, almost 12 seconds ahead of the rest of the field.
Gaudaire’s time was a 23 second drop from her lifetime best of 16:45.86, which she set in March of this year. She came in a little more than eight seconds off the European Championships qualifying time of 16:14.00.
Ines Delacroix took 2nd in 16:34.06, a five second add from her best of 16:29.24, which she set, also in March of 2026.
Alexa Reyna, who swims collegiately at ASU, tok 3rd in 16:36.66, a 15 second add from her best of 16:21.46, which she set in July of 2022.
Men’s 50 Breaststroke — Final
- World Record: 24.95 — Adam Peaty, GBR (2017)
- World Junior Record: 26.95 — Jan Malte Grafe, GER (2025)
- French Record: 26.93 — Antoine Viquerat (2025)
- French European Championships Qualifying Time: 27.30
Top 3 Finishers
- Gold: Carl Aitkaci — 27.21 **Qualifying Time
- Silver: Ronan Wantenaar (NAM) — 27.24
- Bronze: Pierre Goudeneche — 27.35
After just missing a spot in the 100 breast, Carl Aitkaci officially earned his roster spot for the 2026 European Championships with his win in the men’s 50 breaststroke.
He stopped the clock in 27.21, winning the event by three hundredths over Ronan Wantenaar‘s 27.24 in 2nd overall. Aitkaci’s time was nine hundredths faster than the French qualifying time of 27.21.
Aitkaci’s swim was a slight add from his prelims time of 27.19, but was still faster than his pre-meet best of 27.51.
Wantenaar’s best stands at 26.85 from the World Championships last summer.
Pierre Goudeneche finished 3rd in 27.35, just missing the QT by five hundredths.
Women’s 100 Backstroke — Final
- World Record: 57.13 — Regan Smith, USA (2024)
- World Junior Record: 57.57 — Regan Smith, USA (2019)
French Record: 58.79 — Emma Terebo (2024)- French European Championships Qualifying Time: 1:00.27
Top 3 Finishers
- Gold: Mary-Ambre Moluh — 58.25 **New French Record
- Silver: Pauline Mahieu — 59.57 **QT
- Bronze: Beryl Gastaldello — 59.76 **QT
Men’s 50 Backstroke — Final
- World Record: 23.55 — Kliment Kolesnikov, RUS (2023)
- World Junior Record: 24.00 — Kliment Kolesnikov, RUS (2018)
- French Record: 24.07 — Camille Lacourt (2010)
- French European Championships Qualifying Time: 24.89
Women’s 200 Breaststroke — Final
- World Record: 2:17.55 — Evgenia Chikunova, RUS (2023)
- World Junior Record: 2:19.64 — Viktoriya Zeynep Gunes, TUR (2015)
- French Record: 2:25.12 — Justine Delmas (2021)
- French European Championships Qualifying Time: 2:25.91
Men’s 200 Freestyle — Final
- World Record: 1:42.00 — Paul Biedermann, GER (2009)
- World Junior Record: 1:42.97 — David Popovici, ROM (2022)
- French Record: 1:43.14 — Yannick Agnel (2011)
- French European Championships Qualifying Time: 1:46.88
I think it’s inevitable that more and more women will get into the 57 range when the top names are already on the verge of going 56s. 57 is becoming the new 58.
I am quite shocked at how poor the quality of performances at this meet have been overall so far.
The depth is severely lacking in so many events and almost most of the stars that are hitting QT times are all seemingly past their prime and advanced in age.
France has historically been a great and deep swimming nation and I hope they find their footing once more because they cannot keep depending on the same 10 ‘stars’ for success.
The depth really is the thing. The country has 70 million people, it has swimming history, it has facilities, it has the money – it has all of the things that should make for good swimming results and more depth.
The absence of their two male stars is making it look even worse but the depth behind the top few is really not good, outside of a few events (women’s sprint backstrokes).