16-Yr-Old Sauveur Cristofini Clocks 48.99 100 Free at French Elite Championships

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

Men’s 100m Freestyle — Final

• World Record: 46.40 – Pan Zhanle, CHN (2024)
• World Junior Record: 46.86 – David Popovici, ROU (2022)
• French Record: 46.94 – Alain Bernard (2009)
• French European Championship Qualifying Time: 48.54

GOLD – Cedric Gabali, 48.82
SILVER – Nans Mazellier, 48.88
BRONZE – Sauveur Cristofini, 48.99

16-year-old Sauveur Cristofini made a statement on the 2nd night of the French Elite Championships, blasting a 48.99 100 freestyle, which is faster than the current French 17-year-old record of 49.44, held by Yannick Agnel since 2009.

Just last month at the French Junior championships, Cristofini swam a 49.45 in the 100 free, as well as a 1:46.44 in the 200 free.

Just this past November, Cristofini made his first selection to France’s senior team at the age of 15,  after a breakout showing at the French Short Course Championships.

His 48.99, for reference, is nearly a second faster than any 16 though 18-year-old performer in the US this season, with the closest time to Cristofini being Jack Brown‘s 49.84 from the Pre Swim Series in Westmont, only he and London Rising, another 18-year-old, have been under 50 this season (49.87).

This swim was only his first of the competition, as he is still entered in the 200 breast tomorrow, the 200 free on Tuesday, and the 400 free on Thursday to wrap up his outing in Saint-Etienne.

It is worth noting that Cristofini will turn 17 in November of this year. After scanning the top 400 performers ever in the men’s 100 freestyle, only one performer was 16 years old, that being Tajus Juska of Lithuania, who last July, at the European Junior Swimming Championships clocked 48.57, which ties him for 254th all-time.