Maxime Grousset Fires 47.50 100 Free at French Championships; Analia Pigrée Wins 50 Back
Two days after notching a French record in the 50 butterfly, Maxime Grousset added a second event to his World Championships schedule as he jumped into the world top-10 in the 100 freestyle. The top women’s performance, meanwhile, belonged to Analia Pigrée in the 50 backstroke.
The 26-year-old Grousset swam a time of 47.50 to win the 100 free, good for No. 8 in the world standings for 2025. Grousset has twice captured World Championship medals in this event, with silver in 2022 and bronze in 2023, and his time in Montpellier was less than a tenth off his 2023 best of 47.42. Meanwhile, France could have a solid 400 free relay at Worlds with Rafael Fente Damers (48.02), Nans Mazellier (48.21) and Ethan Dumesnil (48.76) on the team. Fente Damers will swim the individual 100 free as well as he cleared the qualifying time.
Pigrée blasted a time of 27.36 to finish ahead of the field in the 50 back. She came up just nine hundredths short of her French record set in 2022, the year she won the European title and World Championships bronze in the event. Pigrée now sits No. 8 in the world in the event while Mary-Ambre Moluh moved into a tie for 10th globally with her runnerup mark of 27.43. Both swimmers easily cleared the Worlds qualifying time of 27.72. Pauline Mahieu, fresh off a win in the 100 back Sunday, took third in 27.84.
Veteran swimmers dominated the men’s 800 free, but it was David Aubry taking the win in 7:48.41, sneaking under the Worlds qualifying mark of 7:48.66 in the process. Open water standout Marc-Antoine Olivier placed second in 7:49.14, with Damien Joly third (7:51.40).
Lilou Ressecourt finished almost a second ahead of the field in the women’s 200 fly, touching in 2:08.81, but she came up just behind the Worlds standard of 2:08.43. Kamonchanok Kwanmuang, a visiting swimmer from Thailand, touched in 2:09.70 for second, with Soiciz Gelfmann third (2:11.95). The men’s event went to Clement Secchi in 1:58.14, ahead of Sandro Henras-Marouf (1:58.73) and Noyan Taylan (1:59.85).
To conclude the session, Marina Jehl edged out Lucile Tessariol to win the women’s 200 free, 1:58.17 to 1:58.39, with Albane Cachot third (2:00.34). The meet continues through Thursday.