Glasgow (AFP)
Revealed as a teenager, then long confined to places of honor to the spring air hole, Melanie Henen confirmed its rebirth by winning European silver in the 50 m short, Sunday in Glasgow (Scotland).
Three days earlier, the sprinter Picard had offered her first ever international individual, 50 butterfly, just days to celebrate his 27 years, improving the record of France (24.56).
This time, she adorned money on 50 m, in 23 sec 66, still synonymous with record of France, on a race Olympic bonus. She even had the luxury of overtaking the reigning Olympic distance champion, Denmark's Pernille Blume (23.73).
The realization of a new boom that falls for Hénique, seven months of the Olympics 2020. And that comes after a low point touched last spring, when she failed to qualify for the 2019 Worlds-Wide.
Until then, the swimmer of the Cercle de Marseille was a regular summer team in France for almost ten years (with the exception of the 2012 Olympics). In Blue, Hénique was still a teenager, only fifteen years old, winning the bronze medal of the 50 butterfly in 2010, in Budapest. She had reoffended globally a year later in Shanghai. Then, to a lesser degree, at the European Short Course Championships in Chartres the following year.
- Wisdom, calm and patience -
There followed finalist places with the shovel, but no more individual podium. Until the "stab", in the words of one of the coaches of Marseille, Arnaud Rondan, his non-qualification for the World Gwangju.
Behind its rebirth, the ingredients are multiple.
"The assimilation (of the technical work), the experience and what it has put in place in terms of nutrition and well-being, everything put end to end, that makes the + Mel + champion of Europe", summarizes Rondan.
Add to his "ultraprofessionalism" a new wisdom, patience and calmness in someone of "very impulsive and very spontaneous" nature. Finish with two months of summer holidays that have been better known for ages and ultimately beneficial. And you get the Henna "new version".
"I needed a stop, it was bad for a good," she says, "I really cut, and I had time to get the tools to work today." tomorrow and tomorrow. "
Because Hénique is not mistaken target: its only goal of the season is the Olympics. "Only that matters," she says. And not only to participate, but "in the spirit of y + perfer +".
With silver in the 50 meters, Hénique, also a gold medalist with the women's 4x50m and bronze with the mixed 4x50m, brings to the French team her ninth and last Scottish Weekly Award.
- Powerless Stravius -
Beryl Gastaldello, a three-time individual silver medalist (100m, 50m butterfly and 50m backstroke), and double medalist in relay (gold and bronze), did not push her podium counter higher on Sunday. She finished at the foot of the 100 butterfly, despite a new personal best (56.55), and placed eighth in the 50 m (24.00).
Disappointment especially for Jeremy Stravius, who felt a "total helplessness" in the semi-final of the 50 backstroke and did not reach the final.
"There is clearly a lack of sensations, it regresses on the year, I was better in October, it does not give me good benchmarks ... Tenth, help! If I had known, I would not not come, "loose the pillar of the Blues, which makes the Olympics 2020 its ultimate goal and will aim the qualification on 100 m and 100 m butterfly.
"I have known so much better that it's hard to live that ... You do not have to let go, but it's complicated, physically and mentally," says the 2011 world co-champion of the 100 backstroke.
For Florent Manaudou, who made his return to Glasgow in France after more than three years absence, the Scottish competition ended in the morning, when the 4x50 m 4 men's medley did not pass the series. .
© 2019 AFP