Eight months after the Tokyo Olympics ended with a single medal, a busier than expected summer awaits French swimmers.

After postponing the World Championships scheduled for May in Japan to 2023 due to the pandemic, the International Federation has finally added to the 2022 calendar an exceptional edition of the Worlds, from June 18 to July 3 in Budapest, in addition to the Europe scheduled for August 11-21 in Rome.

Qualification for these two meetings therefore passes through the Limoges swimming pool where the French Federation has set "demanding" selection criteria, warned national technical director Julien Issoulié.

"Adversity"

To redeem your ticket, you will have to achieve the minimums in the final, within the limit of two qualified swimmers per race for the Worlds and four for the European Championships.

For example, Florent Manaudou, the only French swimmer to return from Tokyo with a medal (silver in the 50m freestyle), will have to swim in 22 sec 18/100 or less on Saturday to validate his qualification.

Florent Manaudou, during the 50m freestyle final at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, August 1, 2021 François-Xavier MARIT AFP / Archives

This will be an opportunity for the 31-year-old colossus to compete once again against Maxime Grousset, who had dominated him on the one-way trip last December in Montpellier.

"We play sports to have these great rivalries. It takes adversity to pull ourselves up (...) I know that until the end of my career, I will be in confrontation with him" , Manaudou said of the 22-year-old Caledonian.

Maxime Grousset, at the start of the 50m freestyle final, during the French Championships, on December 10, 2021 in Montpellier Pascal GUYOT AFP / Archives

"It's always good to face one of the best in the world", estimated Grousset, who arrived at the foot of the Olympic 100m freestyle podium last summer and who says he is "capable" of being at his best level as well at the Worlds than at the Euro.

In addition to the Manaudou-Grousset duel, another opposition could animate the Limougeaud meeting, that between back-runners Yohann Ndoye Brouard and Mewen Tomac.

We will also follow the performances of Charlotte Bonnet, who, after sad Olympics, left her longtime coach Fabrice Pellerin to give "new impetus" to her career under the direction of the emblematic Philippe Lucas.

"I needed someone who pushes me to my limits, there I am served," she explained.

Charlotte Bonnet, during the French Championships, on December 11, 2021 in Montpellier Pascal GUYOT AFP / Archives

Marie Wattel will want to confirm her new status acquired at the Tokyo Games, where she took sixth place in the 100m butterfly.

The Paris campaign

The competition must also make it possible to take the temperature of the next generation of French swimming, less than two and a half years from the Paris Olympics.

For DTN Julien Issoulié, these French Championships mark "the start of the Paris-2024 campaign".

"We will see the forces present, if those of the Tokyo Games continue to progress or if there is a plateau. We will see if there are young people who are starting to arrive to tickle everyone there a little ."

This new generation will notably be represented by Sacha Velly, 17 years old and specialist in long distances, Analia Pigrée, 20 years old, not very far from Laure Manaudou's French record in the 100m backstroke, or even the twins Lucie and Justine Delmas, 17 years old. .

Analia Pigrée, during the 100m backstroke final at the French Championships, December 11, 2021 in Montpellier Pascal GUYOT AFP / Archives

On the other hand, the great hope Léon Marchand, who sets records for precocity at 19, will not be present in Limoges.

The pupil of Bob Bowman, former mentor of Michael Phelps, trains in the United States and was exempted from the French championships.

He has already qualified for the Worlds anyway, becoming the new French record holder in the 200m medley.

For others, the way to Rome and Budapest passes through Limoges.

© 2022 AFP