2026 French Elite Championships: Women’s 50 Back Provides Three Individual Qualifiers On Day 3

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 | Day 3
  • Finals: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3

At the halfway point of the 2026 French Elite Championships, we saw an additional two women add their names to the team, with a further two adding events to their existing lineup.

Here’s a quick rundown of the selection procedure for this meet before we get into the roster update after the second day.

• The top four swimmers at the meet may be selected to the meet, provided they earn the French qualifying standard in the ‘A’ final at the French Elite Championships
• Subject to availability, athletes who swam qualifying times at the French Junior Championships may be selected to the team
• For the women’s, men’s, and mixed freestyle relays, selection will be proposed for the top four swimmers from the A-final whose combined individual performances meet the required relay time. The times recorded in the heats may be considered to validate the relay time.

There were two new swimmers to add their names to the team for Paris this summer, as Mary-Ambre Moluh and Analia Pigree led the women’s 50 backstroke. Moluh clocked a new French record of 27.20, with Pigree swimming the fourth-fastest time in French history (27.31) for silver.

Beryl Gastaldello lowered her eight-year-old PB of 27.86, which was a French record when she swam it, with a time of 27.62 for bronze tonight. She has already qualified in the 100 freestyle, and has now qualified in two events.

Marie Wattel added a third event in three days, winning the 100 fly in 57.90. That is 1.76 seconds off her French record of 56.14, but was enough to clear the field by over a second and dip under the 58.30 qualifying time by four tenths of a second.

No French men hit a qualifying time tonight, with Amaury Arbal 0.01 seconds away in the 100 fly as he clocked 51.82. He should still be a potential option for the men’s medley relay. Michel Arkhangelskiy was faster than the 51.81 qualifying standard with a 51.41 for first, but represents Bahrain internationally.

Leon Marchand pulled out of the 200 breaststroke final due to injury, but has already qualified in the 400 IM.

Women’s Individual Qualifiers

• Bertille Cousson (200 backstroke)
• Beryl Gastaldello (100 freestyle, 50 backstroke)
• Marie Wattel (100 freestyle, 50 butterfly, 100 butterfly)
• Albane Cachot (50 butterfly)
• Mary-Ambre Moluh (50 backstroke)
• Analia Pigree (50 backstroke)

Men’s Individual Qualifiers

• Leon Marchand (400 IM)
• Yohann Ndoye-Brouard (200 backstroke)
• Antoine Herlem (200 backstroke)
• Mewen Tomac (200 backstroke)
• Nathan Muratory (200 backstroke)

Women’s Potential Relay Qualifiers

• Mary-Ambre Moluh (400 FR)
• Albane Cachot (400 FR)
• Chloe Braun (400 MR)

Men’s Potential Relay Qualifiers

• Carl Aitkaci (400 MR)
• Amaury Arbal (400 MR)

Potential Junior Qualifiers

• Nathan Muratory (100 backstroke/200 backstroke)
• Sauveur Cristofini (200 freestyle)