Marie Wattel, David Aubry & Anastasia Kirpichnikova Book Tickets For A Home Games On Day One Of Trials
Marie Wattel, David Aubry and Anastasia Kirpichnikova all booked their places at a home Games on the first day of the French trials in Chartres.
The meet runs from 16-21 June with the likes of Leon Marchand – the five-time world champion and 400IM world record-holder – Maxime Grousset, Yohann Ndoye Brouard and Florent Manaudou set to command the spotlight.
Grousset did in fact fire off a 22.87 50 fly, the fourth-fastest of his career and second-swiftest in the world this year behind Noe Ponti‘s 22.65
That followed Florent Manaudou’s 22.87 in the prelims: eyebrow raisers certainly and a hint of what is to come from the pair this week but the event is non-Olympic.
It was Wattel therefore who became the first swimmer to cement her spot at Paris 2024 with an emphatic victory in the 100 fly.
Wattel, who won silver at the 2022 worlds in Budapest, was the only swimmer to break 58 in 57.49, 0.33 inside the 57.92 cut.
Lilou Ressencourt (58.81) took silver but was outside the QT while Maty Ndoye Brouard – sister of European 200 back champion Yohann – clocked 1:00.20 for third.
Anastasia Kirpichnikova: Photo by Patrick B. Kraemer / MAGICPBK
Kirpichnikova was the next swimmer to book a ticket to a home Games when she won the 400 free.
The three-time European medallist was accompanied at the halfway mark by Anna Egorova and Lucile Tessariol with the trio separated by 0.69.
Egorova was still within striking range at 350m before a 30.11 final 50 steered Kirpichnikova to the title in 4:06.87, more than a second inside the 4:07.90 cut.
It’ll be a second Games for Kirpichnikova who represented the ROC in both open water and pool in Tokyo, coming seventh and eighth in the 1500 and 800 respectively.
It was in June 2023 that the 23-year-old was cleared to represent France.
Behind her came Egorova (4:08.77) and Tessariol (4:10.38).
Aubry also punched his ticket at the end of a ding-dong battle with Ahmed Jaouadi in the 400 free.
Aubry, a double world distance medallist, drew to within 0.01 of the Tunisian at the final turn only for Jaouadi to come home in 27.23 for victory in 3:46.10.
Photo Courtesy: Becca Wyant
Aubry touched second but more importantly was well within the cut of 3:47.91 in 3:46.46 although Joris Bouchaut missed out in 3:49.21.
Antoine Viquerat came from fourth at the turn to win the men’s 100m breaststroke in 1:00.07, well outside the cut for an individual swim.
However, he will likely be selected given France have secured relay berths in the men’s and mixed medley relays rather than rely on Marchand who in all likelihood will have a busy schedule.
Likewise Charlotte Bonnet who won the women’s equivalent in 1:07.48 which was well outside the QT of 1:06.79.
Chartres will get their first glimpse of Marchand on Monday with the Bob Bowman-trained athlete set to go in the 400IM in which he is the world record-holder.
Ndoye Brouard will also go in the 100 back, in which he was fifth at Fukuoka 2023, and will go head to head with Mewen Tomac with both men standing a good chance of booking a spot in Paris.
Pauline Mahieu, Mary-Ambre Moluh and Emma Terebo face off in the women’s equivalent.