Maxime Grousset & Beryl Gastaldello Put On Five-Star Show As French Short-Course Championships Conclude
Maxime Grousset claimed his fifth title on the final day of the French Short-Course Championships to leave Angers with a six-strong medal haul and one national record.
Beryl Gastaldello also made it five with victory in the 100IM while Mewen Tomac rattled Jeremy Stravius‘ French 200IM mark as he claimed two titles in quick succession.
The four-day meet served as qualification for the French team for the European Short-Course Championships in Otopeni, Romania from 5-10 December.
Grousset enjoyed a comprehensive win in the 100 free, stopping the clock at 45.79 for the fifth-fastest time of his career, his PB standing at 45.41 en-route to silver behind Kyle Chalmers at the 2022 short-course Worlds.
As well as Sunday’s honours, the 24-year-old leaves Angers with titles in the 50 free, 100IM, 50 fly and 100 fly in a French record of 49.24 plus 200 free silver.
It was well within the cut for another swim in Otopeni with Yann Le Goff (47.56) and Mehdy Metella (47.57) completing the podium.
Gastaldello Makes It Five: Tomac Claims Quickfire Double
Gastaldello was 0.19 outside her 2020 French standard in 57.49 to book her fifth swim in Romania.
She heads to Romania 11 years after her first trip to the international podium at the 2012 short-course Europeans and leaves the French Short-Course Championships with five golds and a French record of 56.18 in the 100 back.
Gastaldello’s roll-call: 100 back, 50 fly, 50 free, 100 free and 100IM.
Bonnet – who claimed her fourth title in the 100 fly in 57.66 earlier in the evening – was second in 58.11 with Anastasia Urbaniak third in 1:00.36.
Mewen Tomac: Photo Courtesy: Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
Tomac completed the backstroke treble with a clear win in the 50, the only man inside 23secs in 22.96.
Yohann Ndoye-Brouard was second in 23.63 with Stanislas Huille completing the podium in 23.77.
The two-time European long-course medallist dusted himself down and returned to the pool a little over 17 minutes later for the 200IM.
There he went 1:54.15 – the second-fastest all-time in French waters and eclipsed only by Stravius’ 1:54.00 from the 2012 European Short-Course Championships in Chartres.
Jeremy Desplanches of Switzerland was next home in 1:56.63 with Emilien Mattenet – winner of the long medley – the second Frenchman in 1:57.31.
Treble For Kirpichnikova
Anastasia Kirpichnikova pulled away from Lucile Tessariol on the final 50 to claim victory in the 400 free.
Kirpichnikova was just 0.02 ahead with 50 to go only for a 29.07 blast to guide her to the touch in 4:01.30 with Tessariol 0.64 behind in 4:01.94 with both women well inside the qualification time of 4:05.27.
Anastasia Kirpichnikova: Photo Courtesy: KMSP/Stephane Kempinaire
With victory, Kirpichnikova wrapped up the 400-800-1500 treble which included a French record in the longest race.
Valentine Leclerq was third in 4:07.29
Logan Fontaine headed the 1500 free in the opening event of the night, overturning a 0.14 deficit at 1450 to go past Damien Joly with a 26.23 final 50.
Fontaine stopped the clock in 14:33.52 ahead of Joly whose time of 14:34.58 saw both men inside the cut with Pacome Bricout – winner of the 800 – setting his second age group record in 14:39.67.
Pauline Mahieu held a 0.07 lead over Emma Terebo at halfway in the 200 back before she pulled away for a comfortable win in 2:04.81.
Terebo was second in 2:05.83 with both women inside the cut, Bertille Cousson third in 2:06.94.
Kacper Patula (26.70) and Carl Aitkaci (26.88) were the only men inside 27secs in the 50 breast but neither made the QT.