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Manaudou Blasts 21.73 50 Free Prelim In Return To Racing At Sette Colli

Caeleb Dressel

2019 SETTE COLLI TROPHY

28-year-old Olympic champion Florent Manaudou produced a statement-making swim this morning at the 2019 Sette Colli Trophy in Rome, making his return to competitive racing in style.

While competing on day 1 of the 3-day meet, the 2012 Olympic gold medalist fired off a quick 21.73 to take the 2nd seed behind Brazil’s Bruno Fratus in the men’s 50m freestyle heats. The pair represented the only swimmers to dive under 22 seconds out of the morning, with the next fastest coming in the form of America’s Michael Andrew, who punched the wall at the same time as Italian Santo Condorelli in 22.06.

And just like that, Manaudou is now ranked 8th in the world for this season.

2018-2019 LCM MEN 50 FREE

2Vladimir
MOROZOV
RUS21.2708/15
3Bruno
FRATUS
BRA21.3106/09
4Kristian
GKOLOMEEV
GRE21.4507/27
5Benjamin
PROUD
GBR21.4804/28
6Andrea
VERGANI
ITA21.5304/02
7Michael
ANDREW
USA21.6207/27
8Shinri
SHIOURA
JPN21.6704/07
8Pawel
JURASZEK
POL21.6707/27
10Florent
MANAUDOU
FRA21.7206/21
View Top 26»

After taking a step back from the sport after taking 50m free silver in Rio, the Frenchman announced that he would return to competitive swimming full time, signing with the Energy Standard team of the International Swim League.

Manaudou’s personal best in the 50m free rests at a wicked-fast 21.19, a mark which ties him as the 5th fastest ever. The fact the man is already into the 21-high territory in prelims of his first meet is a good sign the beast of old is making his way back.

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Philip
5 years ago

Great comeback in the making. Maybe taking extended time off works wonders for those with “swimmer’s fatigue”. It worked with Phelps and Ervin, now we have Manaudou.

Seans
5 years ago

Any way to watch finals?

anonymous
Reply to  Seans
5 years ago

The race video is on Youtube

Curious Swimma
5 years ago

Sub 21 for gold in Tokyo. You heard it here first.

Observer
Reply to  Curious Swimma
5 years ago

DEEEEEEAN FARRIIIIIIIIIIIIS

Tim
Reply to  Curious Swimma
5 years ago

Unlikely. The big finals in the 50 Free are often “slow”.

Curious Swimma
Reply to  Tim
5 years ago

I mean I guess an average of 21.35 in the past 3 Olympics is slow, but I just feel like it will be faster next year, I could obviously be wrong. But would it be swimswam without some bold predictions.

M Palota
Reply to  Curious Swimma
5 years ago

The focus is, of course, on predicting what the winning time will be. I’m at least as interested in what it’s going to take to make the Semi’s then the Finals. It’s going to be bonkers tight.

21.70 to make top 16 and if you’re 21.78, you’ll be 20th. Then 21.50 to make Finals and 21.6 will be 12th. 21.0 wins it and 21.3 is 6th.

Samuel Huntington
Reply to  M Palota
5 years ago

Don’t think it will be that fast…16 people going 21.70 or better?!?

Rafael
Reply to  Samuel Huntington
5 years ago

And 6 going 21,3???? 8 21,5?

Ol’ Longhorn
5 years ago

Dressel should stick to the 200 fly after this.

Sprintdude9000
Reply to  Ol’ Longhorn
5 years ago

Hahaha what a comment

Love it

The Ready Room
Reply to  Ol’ Longhorn
5 years ago

Every time I start to get exhausted by your Dressel bashing, you come through with a gem like this.

Ol’ Longhorn
5 years ago

New favorite for Tokyo.

Old Man Chalmers
Reply to  Ol’ Longhorn
5 years ago

no? the 50 free is loaded with dressel, proud, fratus, andrew etc. 0.08s seperates proud’s and manaudou’s PBs. No one is the favourite in this event, or arguably even a medal lock.

Love to Swim
Reply to  Old Man Chalmers
5 years ago

Who’s Andrew?

CACrushers
Reply to  Old Man Chalmers
5 years ago

There’s no way Andrews wins the 50 free in Tokyo

straightblackline
5 years ago

It’s a great time given the three year absence. But it’s only the 50FS and it’s still about 2.5% off his PB. If a middle distance freestyler had a PB in the 400 of, say, 3.42 and did 3.48 on the first outing of his comeback it would be about the same differential in percentage terms and there wouldn’t be nearly as much astonishment. Yet for me the latter would be more impressive.

Togger
Reply to  straightblackline
5 years ago

If someone went 3.48 in the heats of a non-taper meet after 3 years out of the pool, I think reaction would be similar.

Ryan
Reply to  Togger
5 years ago

Haha same

Dudeman
Reply to  Togger
5 years ago

Honestly tho. Like if Connor Dwyer went 3:48 right now most people would be pretty impressed since he’s disappeared for a number of years now

Blackflag82
Reply to  straightblackline
5 years ago

If you consider where this puts him in regards to medal contention from the last 3 olympics, he’s about 1.1% off. So using your comparison, it’s more like he just swam a 3:46 after being out of competition for 3 years…

Gator
5 years ago

Agree- dude is a total BEAST!

Dee
5 years ago

I’m not a great fan of sprint free, but the 50 is going to be incredible in Tokyo. What a statement.

Tim
Reply to  Dee
5 years ago

Ditto – I much prefer the 200 Free as a race but there is a stacked field in the 50 right now.

Observer
Reply to  Dee
5 years ago

“I’m not a great fan of sprint free” said no one ever

Dee
Reply to  Observer
5 years ago

Much rather watch a good 1500 haha

Leisurely1:29
Reply to  Dee
5 years ago

I agree, as Jack Cartwright once said: “I’m a big fan of the 50 and 100”

50 free
Reply to  Dee
5 years ago

Take that back

Taa
Reply to  Dee
5 years ago

The 50 is the new 100 I said that last week

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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