Hénique, 29, won the final of the French Championships in 25 sec 62/100th, well below the 26 sec 36 required by the Federation to ensure its participation in international summer meetings.

"We can aim for something beautiful," she said after her run.

"At the World Championships, I don't want to be a finalist. I know what I want, we are working for."

High goals for the sprinter, despite a shortened preparation.

“I shit!” she admitted.

"Fortunately I love swimming! I had a lot of pain but I wanted to be there and win this medal."

Mélanie Hénique, after winning the 50m butterfly final at the French Swimming Championships, April 9, 2022 in Limoges Damien MEYER AFP

The start of the season had been very difficult for Hénique, who had shared on social networks in January the news of the death of his brother.

"When my brother died, I was at the bottom of the hole. Really, it was very hard, very emotionally absorbing. I was empty, empty, empty," she said.

"Fortunately Julien (Jacquier, his trainer) was there, all the staff, the group. It allowed me to get that, to surpass myself. I hope he is proud of me", a-t she added with a smile.

Grousset "not at the top"

She will therefore be at the rendezvous of the World Championships in Budapest (June 18-July 3) and Europe in Rome (August 11-21), where she will be accompanied by Marie Wattel, who also achieved the minima in the 50m butterfly.

Maxime Grousset and Florent Manaudou will also be part of the 50m freestyle, even if neither of them managed to go below the minimums during these French Championships in Limoges.

Grousset won the final on Saturday in 22 sec 28/100th in Limoges, while the selection time had been set at 22 sec 18/100th, the fault of a preparation complicated by a flu at the start of the year and an injury At the shoulder.

Maxime Grousset at the start of the 50m freestyle final at the French Swimming Championships, April 9, 2022 in Limoges Damien MEYER AFP

"I'm a bit lacking in power and explosiveness, and that's what builds a 50 so there you go..." he explained.

"I think I can really take my level up a notch because here I'm really not at the top."

Despite this disappointment, the 22-year-old swimmer will be able to participate in the Worlds and the Euros on the one-way trip thanks to the time he had achieved at the French Championships in Montpellier last December (22.09).

Maxime Grousset, after winning the 50m freestyle final at the French Swimming Championships, April 9, 2022 in Limoges Damien MEYER AFP

This will also be the case for Florent Manaudou, forfeited due to knee pain, but drafted for his time in the final of the Tokyo Olympics last summer (21.55).

© 2022 AFP