France is to send its world championships squad plus a few others to the Mediterranean Games in Pescara, Italy, from June 27 to July 1, a week after the compulsory Paris Open and a last race outing before the big moment in Rome from July 20 onwards.
World record holders and fast-suited sprint pioneers Alain Bernard, Olympic 100m free champion, and Fred Bousquet will lead the French squad in battle against its rival for supremacy of the southern coastal zone of the continent, Italy.
With a full complement of coaches and other staff, the Med Games will serve as a dress rehearsal for eight days of racing elsewhere in Italy, at the Foro Italico, where one of the most anticipated moments will be the 4x100m free re-run of Beijing 2008, when the US pipped France on the last leg, after Bernard had entered the water ahead. He hardly swam shoddily. But the decisive swim was a blistering 46-flat by Jason Lezak, his split 0.6sec faster than any other swimmer has ever swum in a relay and one that kept Michael Phelps on target for the magic eight.
The best 100m relay splits ever:
- 46.06 Lezak Beijing 2008
- 46.63 Bousquet B 2008
- 46.65 Sullivan B 2008
- 46.70 vdHoogenband Barcelona 2003 Worlds
- 46.73 Bernard B 2008
Rome 2009, France's prospects for improving on Melbourne 2007 look, well, spectacular. In 2007, the only French man to make a solo final was Sebastien Rouualt, fifth in the 800m free. In 2009, French men hold the 50m and 100m freestyle world records, boast the fastest four 50m men and five out of six of the best 100m men in the world this year, as well as the second and third best 50m butterfly times ever and are clear favourites so far for the 4x100m freestyle world crown. No French man has ever won a world title.
France team for Pescara:
- Men: Alain BERNARD (CN Antibes) ; Sébastien BODET (Lagardère Paris Racing) ; Frederick BOUSQUET (CN Marseille) ; Tony DE PELLEGRINI (A.Bayonnais) ; Hugues DUBOSCQ (CN Le Havre) ; Fabien GILOT (CN Marseille) ; Fabien HORTH (AC Pontault-Roissy) ; Camille LACOURT (CN Marseille) ; Clément LEFERT (Olympic Nice Natation) ; Amaury LEVEAUX (Mulhouse ON) ; Grégory MALLET (CN Marseille) ; Thibault MARAND (ES Massy Natation) ; William MEYNARD (CN Marseille) ; Anthony PANNIER (CN Braud Saint Louis) ; Giacomo PEREZ DORTONA (CN Marseille) ; Nicolas ROSTOUCHER (CS Clichy 92) ; Romain SASSOT (Lyon Natation) ; Raoul SHAW (AMSL Fréjus) ; Christophe SOULIER (Montpellier ANUC) ; Benjamin STASIULIS (Lagardère Paris Racing) ; Jérémy STRAVIUS (Amiens métropole natation) ; Guillaume STROHMEYER (Olympic Nice natation) ; Kévin TRANNOY (Olympic Nice natation) ; Thomas VILACECA (EN Albi).
- Women: Joanne ANDRACA (AC Hyères) ; Fanny BABOU (CNS Saint Estève) ; Coralie BALMY (Dauphins Toulouse oec) ; Esther BARON (CN Marseille) ; Diane BUI DUYET (CN Marseille) ; Alexianne CASTEL (Dauphins Toulouse oec) ; Cloé CREDEVILLE (CS Meaux Natation) ; Sophie de RONCHI (ES Massy Natation) ; Coralie DOBRAL (CS Meaux Natation) ; Ophélie-Cyrielle ETIENNE (Dauphins Toulouse oec) ; Margaux FABRE (Canet 66 Natation) ; Lara GRANGEON (CN Calédoniens) ; Mélanie HENIQUE (Amiens métropole natation) ; Sophie HUBER (CN Sarreguemines) ; Mylène LAZARE (ASPTT Montpellier) ; Malia METELLA (Dauphins Toulouse oec) ; Aurore MONGEL (Mulhouse ON) ; Camille MUFFAT (Olympic Nice Natation) ; Magali ROUSSEAU (CS Clichy 92) ; Elodie SCHMITT (CN Sarreguemines) ; Hanna SHCHERBA (CS Clichy 92) ; Angéla TAVERNIER (CN Marseille).
Here's what they wore to qualify for the World Championships:
Men:
In Jaked: Bousquet, Horth, Lacourt, Lefert, Mallet, Meynard, Dortona, Rostoucher, Sassot, Stasiulis, Stravius. All set records or massive best times (check at our coverage and you will see that massive is fair).
In Arena: Bernard (X-Glide - not yet approved -for world record and 50m final, other suits for other swims)
In adidas: Duboscq (fifth in the 200m breaststroke behind four Jakeds)
In TYR: Leveaux
In Speedo LZR: Gilot
Women:
In Jaked: Baron, Babou, Bui Duyet, Castel, Credeville, Etienne, Grengeon, Metella, Muffat, De Ronchi, Shcherba Lorgeril, Tavernier. (Fabre and Rousseau, listed by L'Equipe as having worn Jaked, wore Arena for main events)
In Arena X-Glide (not yet approved): Lazare (swam the heats of 200 free in X-Glide then in R'Evolution Plus with PU panels), Fabre, arena R'Evolution Plus with PU panels; Rousseau, X-Glide.
In TYR: Mongel
In Speedo LZR: Balmy, Henrique, Huber, Schmitt.
