Tokyo (AFP)

In the big leagues, at 22: Maxime Grousset barely invited himself to the final of the 100m Olympic, the queen race, when Katie Ledecky had a roller coaster ride, from the new disillusionment of the 200m to gold 1500m history, Wednesday in Tokyo.

Reigning two-time world champion Caeleb Dressel swam his fastest 100m of the season in the semi-finals, clocking 47 sec 23, but young Russian Kliment Kolesnikov did even better, setting a record 47 sec 11. Alain Bernard's Europe going back to 2009 time of the wetsuits improved by one hundredth.

His seat in the roller coaster only held up to twelve hundredths, but Grousset, eighth in 47 sec 82, composted his ticket for the grand final.

"I was really scared, admits the New Caledonian who trains at Insep, under the direction of Michel Chrétien. When I saw the time, I said to myself, it's dead, it would have been necessary do 47 sec 70. But I deserve my place, that's all. An Olympic final is a dream. "

This performance is a reward for its skyrocketing progress in recent months.

In mid-May in Budapest, Grousset broke the 48 sec bar for the first time at the European Championships.

Since then, he has significantly improved his personal best on the round trip.

Until bringing him to 47 sec 52 in the position of first relay runner in the 4x100 m in the final on Monday, which made him the best French performer in history excluding combinations.

- Dressel behind Kolesnikov -

If he was less convincing in the playoffs Tuesday night (48.25, 12th time), his 47 sec 82 is his second best time.

"I went through all the emotions a bit, he describes. I had stress and pressure. Then I freed myself. I swam well the first 50 m, I turned in the first (2nd ) but I have a little trouble finishing. And when I see the result, I'm really happy. I'm skipping stages. "

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In front of him, it went very quickly.

Five years ago, Grousset's time would have earned him the best time in the semi-finals.

"That's what I expected, it's going to be a quick final," Dressel predicts.

"It's going to be a really fun race. I can't wait. I'm lucky to be, you should be jealous," the American sprinter told reporters.

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Kyle Chalmers, outgoing Olympic champion but only sixth in time (47.80), appeared to him more inside.

At the bottom, then at the top: dethroned in the 400m two days ago, Ledecky started her marathon morning with a new disillusionment, only fifth in the 200m (1: 55.21) of which she was also the title holder.

- Titmus does it again -

As over 400 m, and at the cost of a fantastic new ascent, it was the Australian Ariarne Titmus who won in 1 min 53 sec 50.

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"It was a hell of a race, really exhausting", loose the native of Tasmania, settled in Brisbane, finally overtaken by the emotion when it comes to embracing her exuberant trainer Dean Boxall, with the look of an Australian surfer.

"My return is definitely my strength," she said.

We will not contradict her.

This 200m marked the last Olympic final for Italian legend Federica Pellegrini (7th, 32), crowned in 2008 and the first swimmer to compete in a fifth Olympic final over the same distance.

An hour later, Ledecky dived again, in archifavorite this time, for the very first Olympic final in the women's 1,500m.

At the end, victory, finally, fist raised and moved as rarely (15: 37.34).

"After the 200m, in the warm-up pool, with each stroke, I thought of my grandparents, who are the strongest people I know, that's what helped me hold on she sobs.

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“This gold medal means a lot,” adds Ledecky, still expected in the women's 800m and 4x200m.

In the 200m butterfly, the young Hungarian Kristof Milak succeeded Michael Phelps on the Olympic record, when the Japanese Yui Ohashi secured a double 200m-400m medley.

With his 200m gold and silver medalists Tom Dean and Duncan Scott, the British men's 4x200m came close to the world record (6: 58.58) on the way to gold.

© 2021 AFP