Courtesy: World Aquatics/CN Antibes
With the objective to prepare international athletes from the World Aquatics Scholarship Programme for major global competitions, World Aquatics announces an agreement with the Fédération Française de Natation (FFN) and the Cercle des Nageurs d’Antibes (CN Antibes) to open the federation’s latest World Aquatics Training Centre.
The partnership will enable World Aquatics Scholarship Programme athletes from developing nations to train at the CN Antibes venue in Antibes in France’s Côte d’Azur region.
CN d’Antibes becomes France’s first World Aquatics Training Centre as the scholarship athletes will be mentored by CN Antibes Executive Director Frédéric Vergnoux who has a track record of coaching swimmers to World and Olympic medals. Created in 2014 with the aim of raising the level of athletes worldwide, the World Aquatics Scholarship Program is in its 10th season – an edition with unprecedented ambition.
Selected athletes benefit from a one-year program, in an environment conducive to reaching their full potential for optimal preparation for the World Aquatics Championships – Doha 2024 and the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The program targets athletes who have shown strong international potential in competitions such as the World Aquatics Championships, World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m), and previous Olympic Games. The program offers financial support and expert technical knowledge to athletes who lack sufficient conditions to train in their home country.
World Aquatics President Husain Al-Musallam expressed his delight in establishing a World Aquatics Training Centre in France.
“I am thrilled about our collaboration with CN Antibes, marking a significant milestone for aquatics. With an exceptional team of coaches, talented athletes, and top-notch facilities, France boasts a rich history in aquatics, especially in swimming,” said the World Aquatics President. “The establishment of our Training Centre in Antibes brings me immense joy. As we gear up for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, I believe this centre will serve as a powerful source of inspiration for the aspiring athletes currently honing their skills at our latest Training Centre.”
About Le Centre International d’Antibes
The new international Training Centre was an obvious choice for Antibes, France, as the CN Antibes is renowned for its high-quality infrastructure, provided by the town of Antibes, its close links with the CREPS d’Antibes and the recent appointment of Frédéric Vergnoux as the club’s Executive Director.
Vergnoux, a 5-time Olympic coach, brings to the NAC and the international project his expertise based on his work in seven different countries. Swimmers under Vergnoux’s tutelage have broken 288 national records to date, as well as winning medals at the Olympic Games, World Aquatics Championships, and the European Aquatics Championships. Voted best coach in the world in 2014, national coach of the British, Spanish, and Belgian Olympic teams, Frédéric Vergnoux has coached 32 swimmers to the Olympic Games.
Vergnoux will be directly responsible for the overall preparation of swimmers in the Elite International, Elite, and Elite Para groups. He is supported by Quentin Coton for the Elite group, and Régis Gautier for the Elite Para group.
The CN Antibes Elite International group has grown to include the 12 international athletes from the World Aquatics Scholarship Programme who are currently training in Antibes.
“It’s an honour to be coming back home, as they say, and in particular to a club with such a long tradition as CN Antibes,” said Vergnoux. “My duties will be multiple, between managing the club and training the World Aquatics group, but I’ll be supported by a competent and motivated staff, in an ideal working structure. It’s a unique challenge in French swimming, and I’m proud to be able to work within a club and in close collaboration with the FFN and World Aquatics. We’ve been at work for over a month now, and for me this will always be the only explanation for our future success.”
CN Antibes President Laurent Ciubini noted what the appointment of Vergnoux as Executive Director and the club becoming a World Aquatics Training Centre means to the club’s future success.
“Co-development has always been in my DNA and this fits in perfectly with Antibes and the Côte d’Azur, where the whole world meets or dreams of meeting. The arrival of Fred Vergnoux and the creation of this International Centre will undoubtedly contribute to enabling club and international athletes to train and progress within the CN Antibes.”
Added FFN President Gilles Sezionale: “After the successful experiences of bringing knowledge to various Francophone countries, France is taking a new step in its contribution to world swimming with the creation of this centre.”
More about the Cercle des Nageurs D’Antibes (CN Antibes)
Founded in 1965, the Cercle des Nageurs d’Antibes is one of France’s most awarded swimming clubs: 16 Olympic medals, 9 World Championship medals, 200 French championship titles, 7 European championship titles, 3 European records and 10 World Records.
A training club, a club of excellence, and an accession and training Centre, CN Antibes has become a key player in swimming in France and worldwide, opening the first World Aquatics Training Centre in France in conjunction with World Aquatics for its Scholarship Programme. From apprenticeship to international elite, the CN Antibes covers all fields of aquatic sports to the delight of its 1,200 members.
