2018 FRENCH NATIONAL SHORT COURSE CHAMPIONSHIPS
- November 15th-18th,2018
- Montpellier, France
- 25m (SCM)
- Results
- Day 1 recap
- Day 2 recap
- Day 3 recap
French swimmer Charlotte Bonnet polished off her 2018 National Championship meet with her 5th win, and 2nd National Record, of the meet.
Bonnet is best known as a freestyler, but both of her French Records came in non-freestyle events. After swimming the 50 breaststroke in 29.98 earlier in the meet, on Sunday she added a 2nd National mark with a 58.67 in the 100 IM. That breaks her own National Record set at this same meet last year in 58.96.
“It’s a pleasure to both start and finish these championships with French Records,” Bonnet said after the swim. “This week has been very long, I’ve been racing since last Sunday and I’m happy to finish like this. Having a final day with a 400 free and a 100 IM is tough, but now I’m done. I’m not as prepared and fit as I had hoped to be because I had trouble recovering between sessions and races.”
As alluded to, Bonnet also won the 400 free in 4:02.19. That’s 5-seconds clear of the field.
The other big news of the day is that 21-year old Marie Wattel, who was on the European Championship winning 400 free and 400 medley relays, won’t swim at the World Championships. She finished her meet with a win in the 100 fly in 56.92 on Sunday, but says that in concert with coaches and doctors, she’s decided to take a break until January, and then begin training for the long course season.
Other Day 4 Winners:
- David Aubry won the men’s 1500 free in 14:32.78, which ranks him 5th in the world this year and confirms his spot at the World Championships. “This 1500 was very complicated,” he said after the swim. “I went out quickly, because I knew I lacked the endurance, and finally it worked, thankfully. I’ll have to get back to work for the world championships soon but I’m happy with the result. I do not have much time left but we will do everything with Philippe (Lucas, hiss coach) to catch up.
- Jean Dencausse won the men’s 50 breaststroke in 27.29, topping the tighest race of the final. The top 4 swimmers were within a tenth of a second, and the top 10 were only spread by .66 seconds. Mateo Griardet took 6th in 27.68, which sets the French Record for 17-year olds. For Dencausse, that gave him a sprint breaststroke double, after winning the 100 earlier in the meet in 58.54.
- Jeremy Stravius won the men’s 50 backstroke in 23.27, by over a second even in such a short race. He would finish his meet with another National Title, in the 200 IM, by touching in 1:56.98, which was his 4th national title of the meet. Switzerland’s Jeremy Desplanches touched 1st, though, in 1:53.51 – a new Swiss National Record.
- Louise Lefebvre was the top French finisher in the women’s 200 back in 2:07.92, which is her lifetime best by almost 3 seconds. Russia’s Valeriya Egorova, who trains with the meet hosts Montpellier, touched 1st, though, in 2:06.66.