Entries Revealed for French Olympic Trials; Leon Marchand Opts for 200 Breast, 200 Fly, IMs
By Riley Overend on SwimSwam
2024 French Elite Championships
Sunday, June 15 – Friday, June 21
Chartres, France
LCM (50 meters)
Entry List
Leon Marchand is entered in the 200 breaststroke, 200 butterfly, 200 IM, and 400 IM at the French Championships next week at the Odyssee swimming pool in Chartres, his final tune-up before the Olympics next month in Paris.
The 22-year-old world record holder will contest the 400 IM on Monday, both the 200 fly and 200 breast on Wednesday, and the 200 IM on Friday to prepare for what could be a busy Olympic schedule. After winning world titles in the 200 IM, 400 IM, and 200 fly last year, Marchand focused the first few months of this year on short-course yards (SCY) at Arizona State, where he led the Sun Devils to their first NCAA crown before following coach Bob Bowman to Texas in April.
In the long-course meter (LCM) pool, Marchand is ranked 11th this season in the 200 breast (2:08.40), 10th in the 200 fly (1:54.97), 2nd in the 200 IM (1:55.74), and 12th in the 400 IM (4:11.21).
Other notable entries include Maxime Grousset, the 2023 world champion in the 100 butterfly. The 25-year-old sprinter is entered in the 50 free, 100 free, 50 fly, and 100 fly. Grousset is ranked 23rd in the world this season in the fly (51.47).
London 2012 Olympic champion Florent Manaudou will take on the 50 free, 100 free, and 50 fly in search of his fourth Olympic appearance this summer. The 33-year-old sprinter is tied for 25th in the world this season in the 50 free with a 21.89 from last month.
Two-time Olympian Marie Wattel is gearing up for five events between the 50 free, 100 free, 200 free, 50 fly, and 100 fly. The 27-year-old captured a silver medal in the 100 fly at the 2022 World Championships with a national record of 56.14, but she hasn’t broken 58 seconds in the event so far this season.
Distance specialist Anastasiya Kirpichnikova is seeking her second Olympic appearance, but her first representing France after switching sporting nationalities from Russia last year. The 23-year-old is signed up for the 200 free, 400 free, 800 free, and 1500 free, the latter of which she owns the national record in from last year’s World Championships (15:48.53).
Charlotte Bonnet is aiming for her fourth Olympics at 29 years old. She is gunning for the 100 free, 50 breast, 100 breast, and 200 IM. Bonnet owns the national record in the 100 free at 52.74 from 2018, but her best event now might be the 200 IM, where she placed 7th at the 2024 World Championships in February with an Olympic ‘A’ cut of 2:11.23.
Among those eyeing their first Olympic berths is 25-year-old backstroker Pauline Mahieu, who clocked a national record in the 100 back (59.30) at the 2023 World Championships last summer. She is also entered in the 50 free, 50 back, and 200 back.
Plenty of relay spots will also be up for grabs as France qualified all seven relays for the Olympics.
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