Release of French “Swim Idols” Pin-up Calendar Draws Big Crowd

After 15 years of a monopolistic run by France’s national rugby team as the kings of calendar sales with their “Gods of the Stadium” bestseller, there’s a new challenger in the game: the “Idols of the Pool.”

Last month the teaser “making of” video was released, and now the calendar itself is on shelves in bookstores in France. The calendar features the swimmers of the Cercle des Nageurs de Marseille, the home club of most of France’s national men’s team, such as Florent Manaudou, Camille Lacourt, Frédérick Bousquet, Fabien Gilot, Grégory Mallet, and Mehdy Metella, shot at the famous club that juts into the Mediterranean Sea.

On Thursday night, the 14 men featured in the (somewhat racy) calendar, and their coach Romain Barnier, were on hand at a store in Marseille to meet fans and autograph calendars. In addition to the swimmers listed above, fans saw William Meynard, Giacomo Perez Dortona, Benjamin Stasiulis, Clément Mignon, and Axel Bouton, as well as the up-and-coming Théo Bussière, Anthonny Ralefy, and Paul-Gabriel Bedel.

An impressive crowd of calendar-buyers showed up, many of whom came several hours early to queue for tickets to enter the signing area. The swimmers arrived at 7:30, and autographed calendars and took fan selfies until 10:00 p.m.

Fortunately, SwimSwam was there to capture a few images.

There were not many left at the end of the night

There were not many left at the end of the night

Fans lining up to get their calendars signed

Fans lining up to get their calendars signed

French swim idols calendar

The idols

Greg Mallet and Florent Manaudou

Greg Mallet and Florent Manaudou

Left to right: Perez Dortona, Barnier, Stasiulis, Bedel, Mignon

Left to right: Perez Dortona, Barnier, Stasiulis, Bedel, Mignon

Close to far: Bouton, Ralefy, Meynard, Metella

Close to far: Bouton, Ralefy, Bussière, Meynard, Metella

Bousquet and Gilot

Bousquet and Gilot

The view from the back of the room

The view from the back of the room

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bobo gigi
8 years ago

I imagine what Leveaux thinks about that. 😆

About Anne Lepesant

Anne Lepesant

Anne Lepesant is the mother of four daughters, all of whom swam in college. With an undergraduate degree from Princeton (where she was an all-Ivy tennis player) and an MBA from INSEAD, she worked for many years in the financial industry, both in France and the U.S. Anne is currently …

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