Grousset & Gastaldello Notch Wins On Day One Of 2024 French SC Championships

2024 FRENCH ELITE SHORT COURSE CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Thursday, October 31st – Sunday, November 3rd
• Montpellier, France
• SCM (25m)
• Meet Central
• Live Results

The 2024 French Elite Short Course Championships kicked off today from Montpellier with the competition representing a qualification opportunity for December’s Short Course World Championships.

Although big gun Leon Marchand is currently racing on the World Cup circuit, there are still some key athletes slated to dive in here, including Melanie Henique, Beryl Gastaldello and Florent Manaudou.

The women’s 50m back was the first event on the evening finals agenda, with Analia Pigree producing a winning effort of 26.21 to take the gold.

It was Pauline Mahieu who notched the fastest time out of the heats, 26.69, however, she added .10 in the main event to settle for silver in 26.79. Melanie Henique rounded out the podium in 26.87.

The men took on the 200m back this evening with Mewen Tomac putting up a time of 1:51.15 for the victory.

Antoine Herlem joined Tomac in sub-1:52 territory, clocking 1:51.94 as the runner-up. Alexander Desangles earned bronze in 1:52.33.

Tomac has been as swift as 1:48.55, the current French record he put on the books at last year’s European Short Course Championships.

Maxime Grousset was also in the water, trying the men’s 100m IM on for size. 25-year-old Grousset stopped the clock at 51.93, less than half a second from his lifetime best of 51.49 from 2022.

Yohann Ndoye-Brouard was next to the wall in 52.73 while Stanislas Huille collected bronze in 53.37.

Additional Winners

• Cyrielle Duhamel registered a time of 2:11.57 to top the podium in the women’s 200m IM.
• Gastaldello turned in a time of 51.66 to handily win the women’s 100m free. Her result beat Pigree who notched 53.14 for silver and Albane Cachot scored 53.39 as the bronze medalist. Gastaldello’s PB remains at the French record of 51.16 she hit during the 2020 International Swimming League (ISL) season. Gastaldello’s 51.66 effort now renders the French ace #1 in the world this season.