Paris (AFP)

Florent Manaudou won the title of champion of France in the 50 m in short course, by posting a time in the waters of his best performance since his return to competition on Friday in Angers.

In 20:64, a time of the level of his best performance (20.57) since his return to the pools in April, demonstrates the consistency shown by the member of the Marseille swimmers circle.

In a 50 meters without taking the slightest breath, he is far ahead of his pursuers, Maxime Grousset and Clément Mignon, pushed back to 58 and 81 hundredths respectively.

"I didn't expect to swim that fast, that's good. I still need a few things to hang on to an even better time, a little bit of control. But it's not bad in 6 months", rejoiced Manaudou who won the silver medal at the European short course championships in Glasgow (Scotland) last week in 20 sec 66.

After a break of two and a half years, to devote himself to handball in particular, Manaudou, who has just celebrated his 29th birthday, has the ambition to win back the 50m Olympic gold next summer at the Tokyo Olympics, he who was crowned one way in 2012 in London.

In the 200 meters, Charlotte Bonnet took her revenge on Marie Wattel who beat her on Thursday in the 100 m. Bonnet swam in 01: 52.81 and was more than two seconds ahead of Wattel.

"It is a decent time despite my lack of benchmarks this year. I am very happy," rejoiced Charlotte Bonnet after the race.

Marie Wattel had distinguished herself earlier by winning the 50m butterfly by defeating European champion in Glasgow, Mélanie Henique.

In 25:21, Wattel finished ahead of Henique who swam in 25.24, far from his 24.56 in Glasgow. "The body needs to recover," said Henique after the race.

Fantine Lesaffre, bronze medalist in the 400 m medley of the 2018 world championships in Hangzhou (China) and big favorite of the race, disappointed in 4 min 29 sec 89 hundredths and was beaten by Lara Grangeon (4: 29.60 ).

Matthias Marseau won his first title of champion of France in the 200m butterfly in 1: 56.38, styling on the post Thibaut Mary in the last 50m.

The main results:

. 50 m gentlemen

1. Florent Manaudou 20.64

2. Maxime Grousset 21.22 3. Clément Migon 21.45

. 50 m butterfly ladies

1. Marie Wattel 25.16

2. Mélanie Henique 25.24

3. Naële Portecop 25.99

. 200 m butterfly gentlemen

1. Matthias Marsau 01: 56.38

2. Thibault Mary 01: 56.98

3. Arthur Cachot 01.57.29

. 400 M medley

1. Lara Grangeon 04: 29.60

2. Fantine Lesaffre 04: 29.89

3. Krystyna Panchishko (UKR) 04: 43.29

. Men's 100m backstroke

1. Yohann Ndoye Brouard 50.72

2. Mewen Tomac 51.41

3. Paul-Gabriel Bedel 51.57

100 m breaststroke

1. Cyrielle Duhamel 01: 06.63

2. Fanny Deberghes 01: 06.72

3. Solène Gallego 01: 07.66

Men's 200 m breaststroke

1. Antoine Viquerat 02: 06.33

2. Thibaut Capitaine 02: 06.59

3. Jean Dencausse 02: 06.71

200 m ladies

1. Charlotte Bonnet 01: 52.81

2. Marie Wattel 01: 54.86 3. Anna Egorova 01: 56.18

© 2019 AFP