Glasgow (AFP)

Florent Manaudou, who returns to the French team three years after his last appearance, to compete in the European Short Course Swimming Championships from Wednesday to Sunday in Glasgow (Scotland), feels "much more fulfilled" than when his first part of career, he explains Tuesday.

In individual, Manaudou (29 years) is engaged on 50 m and 50 m butterfly, and could also swim the 50 m back.

Q: How do you live this return in France team?

A: "I'm happy, I had a new equipment, it's cool to find a hat with the French flag and my name on it, it's nice ... After, it's not like it was my first team (from France) and the team has changed a lot, we had a meeting swimmers yesterday (Monday), half, I do not know them ... It's quite funny, I have the impression to be an old man and a young man at the same time, to have a double role, to swim and to show a little how things are going, more than before, because I'm older, and that there is has more alumni in this team, especially that Charlotte (Bonnet) and Fantine (Lesaffre) are not there, Jérémy (Stravius) not yet.It is a very, very young team.A first team of France, that can be a little stressful, I know what it is, I've been there, if I can help them, I'll try. "

Q: At the sight of your recent results, we can expect beautiful things ...

A: "I think so, I'm in good form right now, it's the beginning of a cycle of three competitions that will follow one another (before the French Short Course Championships and the final of the 'ISL, ed.) I'm happy to redo the format series, semi-finals, final, it will help me build my races a little better.

Q: Do you think about the 50m world record?

A: "I'm thinking of course, because I want to regain my level, I have already regained my level in 50 m freestyle, in small bath anyway.Although my race is totally different from before, at the time level, it's the same, I had my third fastest time (20.57) and there are winters where I did not swim in 20 sec 50. So I'll try to go faster there then underwater, I'm less strong, but now I'm swimming faster than before, it's a good omen for the big pool, even if it will be built differently. four competitions I've been doing since September, I'm glad that (Russian Vladimir) Morozov is here, and he wants to beat the world record, so that gives me something extra. he beat him ... But I want to win and I'll hit ahead, and I'll beat him too ... Well, I'll try, it'll be a good fight. "

Q: Do you approach training differently?

A: "I would not say that I am more serious, but I am more invested because it is my decision, I am completely master of my project, and it is something that makes me feel serious +. I'm the one who chose it When I'm in Marseille, I'm given a lot of freedom I would not have been able to do what I'm doing today when I was 21 years old, because I was a little less serious, now I know what I need, I do not have the infused science, I do not know everything, but I listen a lot and, for now, it looks like function."

Q: What are you most proud of since your return?

A: "I always have a smile at the edge of the pool, I have fun all the time, really, before I was much more closed in competition, I do not know if it's age , or (the fact) that I chose to come back, but I'm much more fulfilled, that's what I get out of those first six months. "

Interviewed at a press conference.

© 2019 AFP