Connect with Us:
Mission Accomplished: Muffat & Rouault
Mar 27, 2011 - Craig Lord
French nationals, Strasbourg: day 5 finals
Camille Muffat and Sébastien Rouault completed a successful fives days at nationals with victories over 400m and 1,500m freestyle, while Camille Lacourt took a strong stroke towards a world-title tilt in Shanghai this summer with a 24.36 win in the non-Olympic 50m backstroke. The French team bound for China includes Alain Bernard, but not in the 100m free in which he is Olympic champion, and will only include Amaury Leveaux if he takes up the reserve place in the 4x100m relay as 6th man home in the solo final.
Women's 400m freestyle
Camille Muffat, of Nice, brought her 2011 nationals campaign to an end with a fourth French freestyle title (100m to 800m, in which she was best of France but second to world champ Lotte Friis, DEN) in a dominant 4:05.70. That places her third in the word so far this year, behind the outstanding effort of Olympic champion Rebecca Adlington, on 4:02.84, and the 4:05.51 of the second swimmer home at British nationals, Jazmin Carlin, on 4:05.51.
Muffat's effort fell just shy of her 4:05.49 lifetime best, set at the Paris Open last summer. The silver went to defending champion ahead of Muffat last year, Coralie Balmy, of Antibes, in 4:09.28, the bronze to her former clubmate at Toulouse Ophélie-Cyrielle Etienne, on 4:11.93, that ensuring the same three swimmers made the podium this year and last.
How they measure up:
Best FRA podium result at world titles: gold, twice for Laure Manaudou, 2004 Olympic champion; first at Montreal in 2005 on 4:06.44, then in Melbourne 2007, in 4:02.61, the year the 1978 championship record held by Tracey Wickham (AUS) at 4:06.28 was finally felled.
Men's 1,500m freestyle
European champion Sébastien Rouault, of Mulhouse, defended his 30-lap crown in 15:07.10 ahead of teenager Damien Joly, of Antibes, on 15:17.32, the bronze going to Sébastien Fraysee, of Versailles, on 15:25.04.
The race brought Rouault's 2011 trials campaign to a successful close: he took gold in the 800m and silver behind Yannick Agnel in the 400m, after having raced the first 300m of the fight alongside the man who aims to take honours for Gaul over eight laps in Shanghai this summer. Rouault hopes to end France's medals drought in the 800m and 1,500m at world titles.
Rouault's time places him third on the current world rankings behind Olympic champion Oussama Mellouli (TUN), on 15:01.65, and Olympic silver and bronze medallist of 2004 (1,500m bronze) and 2008 (marathon silver), David Davies (GBR), on 15:06.44.
How they measure up:
Best FRA podium result at world titles: no medals
Men's 50m backstroke
European champion and world No1 in 2010, Camille Lacourt, of Marseille, clocked 24.36 for the global No 1 spot so far this year. He kept his French crown in a time 0.51sec faster than he swam at the same time last year on his way to a 24.07sec victory over continental rivals, including world champion Liam Tancock (GBR) in Budapest last July. The minor spoils today went to Jérémy Stravius, of Amiens, in 25.19, and Benjamin Stasiulis, of Paris Racing, in 25.74, 0.02sec ahead of Dorian Gandon, of Nanterre.
How they measure up:
Best FRA podium result at world titles: no medals
Women's 50m backstroke
Femke Heemskerk (NED) gave Marseilles the first of two backstroke dash wins, her 28.26 effort well up on those who won the minor spoils, 16-year-old Mathilde Cini, of Valence, on 29.03, and Cloé Credeville, of Nanterre, on 29.21.
How they measure up:
Best FRA podium result at world titles: no medals
Women's 50m butterfly
The 'fly dash went to Inge Dekker (NED) in 25.57, the best in the world so far this year ahead of world 100m champion Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 25.67 last week in Amsterdam. The French nationals do not count as a qualifying meet for the Dutch as far as Shanghai world titles are concerned.
The silver in Strasbourg went to Mélanie Henique, of Amiens, in 26.19, ahead of Nanterre's Angéla Tavernier, on 26.76, with world s/c 100m record holder Diane Bui Duyet, of Sarcelles, locked out in 26.98.
How they measure up:
Best FRA podium result at world titles: no medals
Men's 50m butterfly
Fred Bousquet, of Auburn and Marseilles, clocked 23.60 to retain the crown by just 0.06sec over Laure Manaudou's little brother in the second-best time in the world so far this year after the 23.28 of Geoff Huegill (AUS) at New South Wales champs Down Under last month.
In Strasbourg, the silver went to the champion's girlfriend's brother Florent Manaudou, of the Manaudou's hometown of Amberieu, in 23.66, with Amaury Leveaux, of Paris, locked out of the world championships in 23.95, 0.01sec ahead of the 100m free champion, Fabien Gilot.
Beyond the hope of a reserve spot in the relay, Leveaux has missed selection for Shanghai world titles.
How they measure up:
Best FRA podium result at world titles: no medals
