Maxime Grousset Drops Lifetime Bests in 50, 200 Frees in Rare December Long Course Test

17th Meeting National des Hortillons

• December 19-21, 2025
• Amiens, France
• Long Course Meters (50 meters)
• Live Meet Results
• Full Meet Results

After winning two golds and six individual medals at the European Short Course Championships earlier this year, Frenchman Maxime Grousset finished his year in the long course pool that included a pair of lifetime bests in freestyle events.

Grousset, who represents Cs Clichy 92, won all three of his entries at the meet: the 50 free (21.51), 100 free (48.09), and 200 free (1:46.31). The swims in the 50 free (-.06s) and 200 free (-1.70s) were both lifetime bests.

Grousset has blossomed as France’s #2 swimmer behind Leon Marchand, and the 26-year-old continues to stretch his versatility in ways that could benefit France come 2028. He won the 50 and 100 fly World Championships in long course earlier this year, and won gold in the 100 free and 100 fly at the European Short Course Championships.

His 200 free time is especially a revelation and ranks him as the 4th-fastest Frenchman in history.

All-Time Top Performers, Men’s 200 Meter Free, France (Long Course)

1. Yannick Agnel, 1:43.14 (2012)
2. Jeremy Stravius, 1:45.61 (2013)
3. Roman Fuchs, 1:46.11 (2025)
4. Maxime Grousset, 1:46.31 (2025)
5. Leon Marchand, 1:46.44 (2023)

France won only one relay medal at the Paris Olympic Games, in the men’s 400 medley. The 800 free relay, though, finished 5th in 7:04.80, and are looking more-and-more like a medal contender in this relay. With Grousset proving his ability in the longer race, Roman Fuchs having a monster year, and Marchand having a 1:44 split in his bag, France is one leg away from battling for medals amid what should be a wide-open 800 free relay field in LA (Great Britain, U.S., Australia, China, South Korea, and Italy all staking a claim as contenders).

He wasn’t the only star in attendance at the meet on the men’s side. Yohann Ndoye Brouard showed up and won the 50 (24.91) and 100 (53.66) backstrokes, while Russian born, American trained, and French-raised Michel Arkhangelskiy took a break from the NCAA season and won the 50 fly (23.17) and 100 fly (51.60). He also added a lifetime best in the 100 free in 49.25.

While the veterans led the way on the men’s side, on the women’s side it was a junior, 16-year-old Jeanne Lechevalier, who stole the show. Trained by the home club Amiens Metropole Natation, she won both the 50 back (28.05) and 100 back (1:00.30) in lifetime bests.

This meet comes right off a monster performance at the French Winter Junior Short Course Championships, where she broke the Age Records in all three backstroke events. She adds the French Age Record in the 100 back in long course to that list after this meet, breaking her own record of 1:00.43.

Before her, the record of 1:00.93 was set by Mary-Ambre Moluh in 2021 (1:00.93). Lechevalier is also 2nd all-time in the age group in the 50 behind Moluh.

Other Meet Highlights

• Egyptian national Youssef Ramadan, who went to college at Virginia Tech but is currently training in Marseille, had top three finishes in the 100 free (48.79), 50 fly (24.00), and 100 fly (52.43). He is now working to convert his short course success to long course, and a best time in the 50 fly is a step in the right direction there.
• Norwegian teenager Sandra Balto swam best times in the 50 free (25.54) and 100 free (56.71), while winning the 50 fly (26.81) and 100 fly (1:00.54).