Marchand Hits His 4th Olympic Target As Bonnet, Secchi, Henique & Joly Join the Home-Games Squad
On the last day of French Elite Championships in Chartres last night, Léon Marchand completed his set of targets for a home Olympics with a fourth title, in 1:56.33 over 200m medley, the last of a series of swims that got the qualification job done and hint at the serious storm in prospect for Paris beyond taper.
The curtain-closing session also added Charlotte Bonnet, Clément Secchi, Mélanie Henique and Damien Joly to the French squad.
Marchand, racing for his home club Dauphins Toulouse, had company in the first half of the race before pouring away to win by almost three seconds over backstroke ace Yohann Ndoye-Brouard, 1:59.12.
Marchand’s flow: 24.98; 53.86 (28.88) 1:26.94 (33.08); 1:56.33 (29.39)
The Other Targets Met: 400IM, 200 butterfly , 200 breaststroke
The World champion, who took the European record below 1:55 for the first time last year, indicated that coach Bob Bowman had concerns about the 400IM but was happy with the way the rest of Marchand’s unrested qualification went. Marchand said:
“I am relieved. This week was not easy … It’s not totally what I was hoping for but it’s okay. I had doubts after my 400m medley because I saw that my form wasn’t optimal but in the end everything went well. The 200m medley is always hard. I’m a little flat but I managed my week well…
“I still have to rest and recover before the Olympics. Next week. I’ll increase the volume in training before tapering. recovering well. Bob [Bowman, coach] was pretty positive about what I did. He was happy with my other swims after the 400m medley.”
Léon Marchand – Photo: three golds, 1 world and 2 European records to the good at the Fukuoka World titles in 2023, a towering dress rehearsal for Paris 2024 (Photo by Patrick B. Kraemer / MAGICPBK)
Marching To A Home Games With Marchand
One of the memories all who make this home-Games team for France will be “I was there when Léon Marchand …” The what will unfold from July 27 at Paris La Défense Arena.
Charlotte Bonnet, of Olympic Nice, collected her 200IM ticket with a 2:11.18 victory in Chartres as national came to a close. She said:
“I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy with a French champion title. It was a very, very difficult week, I’ve experienced a roller-coaster ov emotions since January: change of coach, a lot of doubt, uncertainties.
Two years ago, I told myself that I was quitting freestyle [in favour of the medley challenge] … It was a really risky bet and I’m even more proud of it because of that. I thought I’d swim a little faster, but at the end I just saw I’d made the time and it feels incredible. I’m really happy! To qualify and be able to say to myself ‘I fxxxing did it’ is a huge relief. It’s like qualifying for my first Games. Today, understand, at 29, the joy that participating in the Games can bring. The road has been very, very long, with many wonderful moments and many pitfalls, and I’m proud to have overcome them.”
Maxime Grousset, Clichy 92, was already on the team but the World 100 ‘fly champion confirmed his place in that event in 50.59 (23.29; 27.30) ahead of Marseille’s Clément Secchi, on 51.17 two ensure the Olympic hosts will have two in the fight come Paris 2024. The race marked the realisation of a dream for Secchi and the end of another for Mehdy Metella, who had hoped to return to Olympic waters at 32 but fell a touch shy on 51.30.
Said Secchi: “I’m proud. It’s difficult to achieve. It’s a grown-up dream because when I was a child I didn’t allow myself to dream of that. It’s been a long road. I never lost hope. I worked very hard and today I am reaping the rewards. I didn’t see Mehdy during the race. The goal was to hang on to Maxime as much as possible.
“When I hit the wall, I heard my Marseille teammates shouting and I understood that I’d finished second and qualified. The stars are aligning this year. I made progress at each competition but a month ago I was ill and lying in an emergency room. Here I am today, very happy.”
In a tight tussle in the 50m free, Béryl Gastaldello, Dauphins Toulouse, grabbed the win in 24.51, Mélanie Henique on 24.53 and Marie Wattell 24.57. Gastadello was already on the team for solo action but Henique still had to make the cut. Job done, by 0.04sec ahead of her Marseille teammate. She said:
“I’m going to Paris!. What a relief! I am so happy. I knew it was possible but I had to actually do it. This is my best 50 of the season. The last day of the championships is not easy. It was very difficult to deal with mentally, and extremely stressful. I disin’t know what was going on when I touched the wall. I saw I hadn’t won and I saw my team jumping for joy. Then Florine (Gaspard, her Belgian clubmate in Marseille) congratulated me and I understood. It was a long day. I tried to meditate but it was difficult.”
Melanie Henique – Photo by Patrick B. Kraemer / MAGICPBK
Damien Joly, the second Frenchman home in the 1500m free after Tunisia’s Ahmed Jaouadi, 14:48.69, and David Aubry, Montpellier Metropole, 14:51.03 and already on the French squad, clocked 14:51.62 to collect his home Games pass. Said Joly, of Stadt de Vanves: “I’ve been waiting to return to the Games for eight years. Despite a somewhat complicated week, I managed to finish well in the 1500m and that was, for me, the objective. I tried to forget the bitter taste of the 800m (3rd Frenchman after Pacome Bricout and Aubry in a range of 1.5 between the three men).
“I did what I could and it was good to race with David, to qualify together and complete our preparation [for Paris] together. I’m satisfied. We did not prepare 100%. We’re not in peak form and to be able to do 14:51 at the end of the week, with a lot of questions in the air … I’m relieved. I must have lost 10 kilos (he joked).
“I trained with David; the 1500m is a little more my race and I knew that if we both stayed together and pushed each other, like in training every day, we’d make it. The goal’s been met; we’re going to the Games and it’s perfect!”