2023-06-12 19:12:10
Marchand, a new phenomenon in tricolor swimming, led the dance in the final by touching the wall in 1 min 46 sec 44. Eccentric in lane 1, the Toulousain, already double world champion at 21, beat Hadrien Salvan, defending champion (01:46.82), and Roman Fuchs (01:46.93).
Even if his time allows him to qualify for the Fukuoka World Championships, Marchand should not participate in this event in Japan. “No chance! Too many races, he’s not ready,” said his trainer Bob Bowman.
On the other hand, he secures a place in the relay, where a podium seems accessible for the Blues during the world meeting in five weeks. “The 200, I think it’s a magnificent race, to see or to do,” said Marchand. “I always wanted to enter a 4×200 relay, and why not do it individually in the next few years, but not this year.”
“The relays are a very different motivation. Sharing an experience like that, with people of my age in a world final, is the best,” he added.
– “Swim faster!”
Having few references over this distance, Léon Marchand had started his day in the heats by taking five seconds off his personal best, which he improved by two seconds in the final.
“I didn’t have too many expectations,” he admitted. “(In the evening), I built my race much better. (…) It’s my level, it’s a good start, now you have to swim faster!”
Marchand’s Breton week, whose popularity is growing day by day, continues on Tuesday with the 200m butterfly, in which he is the reigning vice-world champion. He will then swim the 200m medley on Wednesday, the 400m medley on Thursday and the 100m butterfly on Friday to conclude.
In the other races of this second day of competition, the back-runners distinguished themselves by getting four tickets for the Worlds.
After a very tough final, where four swimmers had the means to qualify, Pauline Mahieu won the 100m backstroke in 59 sec 66. “I loved this race,” she said. “There was a crazy pressure because we know that there are only two places and that there are four of us who can do the time.”
“It’s incredible because I’ve been dreaming of qualifying for the Worlds for years. It’s finally here and it’s great.”
Ambitious Mahieu
Pushed by her runner-up Analia Pigrée, also qualified for Fukuoka, she approached 16 hundredths of the old French record of Laure Manaudou (59.50).
“This summer it’s for me!” said the 24-year-old swimmer. “It may sound ambitious but I think I can swim a lot faster.”
In the men’s race, Mewen Tomac, in 52 sec 87, beat Yohann Ndoye Brouard, who is returning from injury. The two swimmers, accustomed to confronting each other in a duel, will both be on the trip to Japan.
“An injury inevitably leads to a drop in confidence so (this qualification) gives me a good start,” said Ndoye Brouard, European champion in the 200m backstroke last year. “It was a race against the clock, it was a bit hard to manage the intensity I wanted to put in training, but in the end it’s ok, so I’m happy.”
Finally, the swimmer of Russian origin Anastasiia Kirpichnikova, just naturalized French, confirmed her title of the day before in the 400m freestyle by winning that of the 1500m in 16 min 04 sec 89.
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