Grousset Doubles, Manaudou Hits 20.96 50 Free On Day 1 of French SC Champs

2023 FRENCH CHAMPIONSHIPS (25M)

• Thursday, October 26th – Sunday, October 29th
• Angers, France
• SCM (25m)
• Entries
• SwimSwam Preview
• Live Results

Maxime Grousset was the star of the show on the opening day of the 2023 French Short Course Championships in Angers, as the 23-year-old was one of three swimmers to break a National Record and the only one to win two individual events.

Grousset kicked things off by breaking the 50-second barrier for the first time in the SCM 100 fly, clocking 49.24 to knock off Mehdy Metella‘s previous French Record of 49.45 set in 2018.

• Read more on Grousset’s 100 fly record here.

The 31-year-old Metella produced his fastest swim in nearly five years to snag the runner-up spot in 50.43, while Stanislas Huille rounded out the podium in 50.82.

Later in the session, Grousset picked up a second victory in the men’s 100 IM, touching in 51.99 to lead Switzerland’s Jeremy Desplanches (53.73).

Grousset owns a best time of 51.49 in the 100 IM from November 2022.

Also setting new French Records on the day were Anastasia Kirpichnikova and Mewen Tomac.

Kirpichnikova, racing under the French flag for the first time in short course meters (after previously representing Russia), took nine seconds off of Laure Manaudou‘s National Record in the women’s 1500 free, putting up a time of 15:33.42 to erase the old mark of 15:42.39 from 2004.

Kirpichnikova’s lifetime best stands at 15:18.30, done while she was representing Russia, which ranks her #3 all-time.

Veteran Lara Grangeon was a distant runner-up in 16:04.42.

• Read more on Kirpichnikova’s 1500 free record here.

Adding to the record-breaking party on Thursday was Mewen Tomac, who dominated the men’s 200 back in a time of 1:49.21, edging out the previous French mark of 1:49.23 set by Yohann Ndoye-Brouard in 2022.

Ndoye-Brouard was 2nd, more than three seconds back in 1:52.30.

• Read more on Tomac’s 200 back record here.

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

Nearing a National Record on the day was Charlotte Bonnet, who rolled to a big win in the women’s 200 IM in a time of 2:06.79, just nine one-hundredths shy of the French mark she established at the 2022 Short Course World Championships (2:06.70).

Cyrielle Duhamel (2:11.31) erased a 1.43-second deficit to run down Bertille Cousson (2:11.38) on the freestyle leg and claim silver.

At the end of the session in the men’s 200 free relay, Florent Manaudou made his first appearance of the meet on the lead-off leg of CN Marseille’s squad, clocking 20.96 as the team soared to victory in 1:25.57.

Manauodu, the former world record holder in the SCM 50 free (best time of 20.26 from 2014), was essentially on par with what he was able to produce at the 2022 Short Course World Championships, where he went 20.9 in all three rounds of the individual event before placing 6th in the final (20.91).

Joining Manaudou on CN Marseille’s winning relay was Nicolas Vermorel (21.66), Falemana Lopez (21.60) and Stanislas Huille (21.35), with Huille having the fastest split in the field from a takeover.

Short course standout Beryl Gastaldello also had a solid showing on Day 1, winning the women’s 100 free (52.12) and anchoring the Stars 92 runner-up 200 free relay in 23.87.

Gastaldello holds the French Record in the 100 free at 51.16, set in November 2020 during the International Swimming League (ISL) season.

Gastaldello’s squad placed 2nd in the relay in 1:41.81, with Canet’s quartet of Pauline Mahieu (24.91), Analia Pigree (24.20), Marina Jehl (24.37) and Louna Candelon (26.38) cruising to victory in 1:39.86.

Mahieu won the women’s 50 back in 26.63, out-touching teammate Pigree (26.70) while recent Cal commit Mary-Ambre Moluh (27.03) took 3rd.

Also winning on the day was Lucie Vasquez in the women’s 50 breast (31.04) and Tunisian native Ahmed Jaouadi in the men’s 400 free (3:41.29).