By James Sutherland on SwimSwam
2025 FRENCH ELITE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Saturday, June 14th – Thursday, June 19th, 2025 Prelims at 8 am local (2 am ET)/Finals at 6 pm local (Noon ET) Montpellier, France LCM (50m) Meet Central Entries Live Results Live Stream Live Recaps Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4The penultimate night of action from the 2025 French Elite Championships will have a bit of everything with finals in a pair of 200s, three 50s, and the timed final of the men’s 1500 freestyle.
The 1500 free will lead things off, with 33-year-old Damien Joly coming in as the favorite as he owns the top seed by nearly 20 seconds at 14:45.52, the best time he produced at last summer’s Olympics to crack the final, ultimately finishing 8th.
David Aubry, who set the French Record in Paris in 14:44.66, won the 800 free earlier in the meet but has dropped the 1500 from his program here.
Marc-Antoine Olivier, who beat Joly by over two seconds in the 800 free to place 2nd to Aubry, will be in the hunt, though he hasn’t broken 15:00 since 2021.
The headlining event of the session is arguably the men’s 50 free, with Maxime Grousset seeking his third victory of the meet after claiming the top seed this morning in 21.73, just 16 one-hundredths shy of his personal best (21.57).
Rafael Fente Damers, who was the runner-up to Grousset in the 100 free to punch his ticket to Worlds, qualified 2nd into the final in 22.06, well under his previous personal best (22.50) and just .01 shy of the French qualifying standard for U23 swimmers (Fente Damers is 18).
The women’s 50 fly will feature National Record holder Melanie Henique and 100 fly record holder Marie Wattel, who qualified 1-2 out of the prelims with respective times of 26.02 and 26.40, and will need to get down to 25.75 in the final to qualify for Worlds.
Tonight will also feature the women’s 200 back, women’s 50 breast and men’s 200 breast, though no one was within striking distance of the French qualifying time in this morning’s heats. Pauline Mahieu will have a solid chance in the women’s 200 back, however, having won the 100 earlier in the meet and qualified for Singapore.
See the full Day 5 prelims recap here.
Men’s 1500 Freestyle – Timed Final
World Record: 14:30.67, Bobby Finke (USA) – 2024 World Junior Record: 14:41.22, Kuzey Tuncelli (TUR) – 2024 French Record: 14:44.66, David Aubry – 2024 French World Championship Qualifying Time: 15:00.99 Damien Joly (Stade de Vanves), 14:58.78 Marc-Antoine Olivier (Dunkerque Natation), 15:20.26 Emile Vincent (Chambery), 15:22.56 Colin Jacobs (CN Antibes), 15:24.74 Jules Wallart (Dunkerque Natation), 15:39.42 Simon Barbieux (Club Vikings de Rouen), 15:40.03 Adrien Espriet (Lille Metropole Natation), 15:43.60 Teo Puig (Club Vikings de Rouen), 15:50.55Damien Joly cruised to dominant victory in the men’s 1500 freestyle, punching his ticket to the 2025 World Championships with a solid showing of 14:58.78.
The 33-year-old gets under the French Worlds standard (15:00.99) by just over two seconds, nearly even-splitting his way (7:28.25/7:30.53) to a decisive victory.
Joly owns a lifetime best of 14:45.52, set in the prelims at last summer’s Olympics, where he made the final and finished 8th.
Placing a distant 2nd was open water ace Marc-Antoine Olivier, who kept pace with Joly through the first 750 but really fell off after that, touching in 15:20.26. Olivier had been significantly faster, 15:12.91, last month at the Giant Open.
Emile Vincent, who set a PB of 15:10.64 at the Canet leg of the Mare Nostrum Tour, rounded out the top three in 15:22.56, while Colin Jacobs, who has spent time training with the Sarasota Sharks, clocked 15:24.74 from the early heats to place 4th overall. Jacobs set a best time of 15:16.33 last month in Canet.
Women’s 200 Backstroke – Final
World Record: 2:03.14, Kaylee McKeown (AUS) – 2023 World Junior Record: 2:03.35, Regan Smith (USA) – 2019 French Record: 2:06.64, Laure Manaudou – 2008 French World Championship Qualifying Time: 2:10.39 Pauline Mahieu (Canet 66 Natation), 2:08.28 Lou-Anne Guiton (Stade Bethune Pelican Club), 2:11.66 Bertille Cousson (Stade Bethune Pelican Club), 2:12.19 Fanny Borer (Mulhouse), 2:14.66 Carla Mailharrou (Club Vikings de Rouen), 2:14.95 Manon Domingeon (Grenoble Alp’38), 2:15.50 Oriane Lefebvre (Dauphins Toulouse Oec), 2:16.14 Claire Bourse (CN Brest), 2:19.65Pauline Mahieu fired off a massive best time in the women’s 200 back, dropping exactly one second to earn a dominant victory in 2:08.28.
Mahieu, who had previously been 2:09.28 almost a year ago to the today (June 19, 2024), went out fast, turning in 1:02.27 at the 100, and held strong coming home to get more than two seconds under the Worlds qualifying time of 2:10.39, ranking her 17th in the world this seasona nd giving her two individual events in Singapore. She previously qualified by winning the 100 back.
Lou-Anne Guiton had a strong back-half to touch 2nd in 2:11.66, splitting 1:05.42/1:06.24 to come just over seven-tenths shy of her lifetime best of 2:10.95 set in March.
Bertille Cousson took 3rd in 2:12.19, having set a best time of 2:10.89 at last month’s Giant Open.
Women’s 50 Breaststroke – Final
World Record: 29.16, Ruta Meilutyte (LTU) – 2023 World Junior Record: 29.30, Benedetta Pilato (ITA) – 2021 French Record: 30.82, Charlotte Bonnet – 2023 French World Championship Qualifying Time: 30.35 Florine Gaspard (Belgium), 30.64 Giulia Rossi-Bene (Canet 66 Natation), 31.24 Chloe Braun (Dauphins Toulouse Oec), 31.55 Lucie Vasquez (Es Massy Natation), 32.29 Adele Blanchetiere (Dauphins Toulouse Oec), 32.35 Lilou Girardet (Dauphins De St-Louis), 32.45 Romane Hereng (Montpellier Metropole Natation), 33.11 (DSQ) – Zia DuponBelgian Florine Gaspard dominated the women’s 50 breaststroke final, winning by six-tenths in a time of 30.64 to come within striking distance of her National Record of 30.53 set in 2023.
Gaspard improves on her season-best of 30.72 and moves up two spots into 16th in the 2024-25 world rankings.
The top French finisher was Giulia Rossi-Bene, who broke 32 seconds for the first time in the prelims (31.79) and then got down to 31.24 in the final, bringing her lifetime best down by over nine-tenths over the course of the day (entered with 32.15).
Chloe Braun also set a new lifetime best to place 3rd in 31.55, lowering her previous mark of 31.63 set in April at the Fran Crippen Swim Meet of Champions.
Men’s 200 Breaststroke – Final
World Record: 2:05.48, Qin Haiyang (CHN) – 2023 World Junior Record: 2:08.04, Dong Zhihao (CHN) – 2023 French Record: 2:05.85, Leon Marchand – 2024 French World Championship Qualifying Time: 2:09.68Women’s 50 Butterfly – Final
World Record: 24.43, Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) – 2014 World Junior Record: 25.46, Rikako Ikee (JPN) – 2017 French Record: 25.17, Melanie Henique – 2021 French World Championship Qualifying Time: 25.75Men’s 50 Freestyle – Final
World Record: 20.91, Cesar Cielo (BRA) – 2009 World Junior Record: 21.75, Michael Andrew (USA) – 2017 French Record: 20.94, Frederick Bousquet – 2009 French World Championship Qualifying Time: 21.96Read the full story on SwimSwam: 2025 French Elite Championships: Day 5 Finals Live Recap
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