As part of the last day of the French swimming championships in Chartres, Mehdy Metella is in the game to qualify for the 100m butterfly at the Tokyo Olympics. Already qualified for the men’s and women’s 50m freestyle, Florent Manaudou and Mélanie Henique are in the final.
One only has to observe the expression on Mehdy Metella’s face to understand that a great event took place this Sunday morning in Chartres, the fifth and last day of the French swimming championships. In the seventh series of the men’s 100m butterfly, the swimmer from Marseille simply stunned the competition by crossing the Odyssey basin twice in 51”18. A thunderous stopwatch on which he expressed doubts at the end of the series, especially after the technical incidents on Saturday on the departure platform.
« I was surprised. The goal was to swim between 52 and 53 seconds. When I arrive, I hear 51 ”, I think 51” 9. I take off my glasses and see 51 ”18. I told myself that there was a problem like yesterday (Saturday) with the plates », He reacted in remarks reported by The team. This Sunday evening in the final, the Guyanese will try to stay below the 51”96 mark to get his sesame for Tokyo in individual, after making sure to play the 4x100m freestyle. Already qualified for the Games after his time of 21”72 achieved in March in the final of the 50m freestyle in Marseille, Florent Manaudou was beaten by Maxime Grousset, who posted a time of 21”94.
The 22-year-old swimmer, native of Noumea, will have to repeat this performance this Sunday evening, at least no more than 22”01, to be on the program for the event in Tokyo, in addition to aligning with the 100m freestyle . Clément Mignon and Charles Rihoux will have a card to play in this final scheduled for 6:19 pm. Still in the 50m freestyle, on the women’s side, Mélanie Henique (24”55) will participate in the final. Already qualified for Tokyo, she can be accompanied by Charlotte Bonnet (24 “99), Marie Wattel (25” 04), Béryl Gastaldello (25 “08) or Anna Santamans (25″ 43) who swam below 25 ‘ ’51 imposed. We will have to set the bar higher in the final. The mission will be to do better than 24”77.
