Henique Rips 25.24 50 Fly For French Record, 5th Fastest Performer Ever

2020 FRENCH ELITE CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Thursday, December 10th – Sunday, December 13th 
• Saint-Raphaël, France
• LCM (50m)
• Olympic Qualifying Meet
• French Olympic Qualifying Procedures
• SwimSwam Preview
• Start Lists
• Day 1 Prelims Recap/Day 1 Finals Recap
• Day 2 Prelims Recap
• Live Results

While competing day 2 of the 2020 French Elite Championships, Melanie Henique produced a new national record in the women’s 50m fly. Racing in tonight’s final in Saint-Raphaël, the 27-year-old hit a monster personal best of 25.24 to claim the national title.

Henique was a woman on a mission concerning this 50m fly sprint event today, already having claimed the top seed of the morning with a heats time of 25.52. That already overtook her previous PB of 25.63 from 2017 and also nearly broke the French standard of 25.50 Marie Wattel threw down last year in Gwangju.

Come tonight’s final, however, and Henique somehow found yet another gear in this already blistering fast event, stopping the clock in 25.24 to beat the field by well over half a second.

Wattel settled for silver tonight in a time of 26.02, while Analia Pigree logged 27.17 to round out the top 3.

With her newly-minted national record of 25.24, Henique now ties Danish Olympian Jeanette Ottesen as the world’s 5th fastest female of all-time.

Top 5 Women 50m Butterfly Permers All-Time

1. Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) – 24.43, 2014
2. Therese Alshammar (SWE) – 25.07, 2009
3. Rikako Ikee (JPN) – 25.11, 2018
4. Fran Halsall (GBR) – 25.20, 2014
5. Jeanette Ottesen (DEN)  – 25.24, 2013 & Melanie Henique (FRA) – 25.24, 2020