Swimming: the Marseillaise for Tomac and Kirpichnikova at the short course Euros

2023-12-06 22:03:13

Gold and silver… The Blues collected metal for the second day of the European Short Course Championships in Bucharest (Romania). Two titles, two runners-up, two men, two women, a perfect tie. The two Marseillaises of the day are by Mewen Tomac and Anastasiia Kirpichnikova. The swimmer from Amiens won his first international medal by winning the 50m backstroke with a personal best (22”84).

The protégé of Philippe Lucas in Martigues, naturalized last spring, retained over 800 m a European crown that she held under the flag of Russia. Never worried, the native of Asbest, in the Urals, even posted the best performance of the year (8′08′’48). And in this evening of firsts, the 23-year-old young woman was treated to her first anthem of her adopted nation.

“When I swim in training and I think about the Marseillaise, I get chills,” she smiles. Sometimes I imagine that I have won, that I hear my first Marseillaise and it gives me chills. (…) I know her a little, not entirely! »

For their part, Béryl Gastaldello and Maxime Grousset took the second step of the podium, respectively in the 50m freestyle and 100m butterfly.

For the very discreet Tomac, 22 years old, quadruple French champion at the end of October in Angers, the time has come to get some light even if the scent of the little bath is not the most intoxicating. In recent months, the original Norman has gained momentum by circling the podiums without ever managing to get on the box while Marchand or Grousset hit the nail on the head.

“I knew I could win and I did so I’m super happy,” he explains. I wanted this one, I knew I had the ability. »

Also entered in the 100m backstroke and 200m backstroke, the Habs arrived in Romania to “have fun, not think too much and have as much fun as possible”. This Thursday, he will compete in the 100m backstroke heats. At the end of the afternoon, French eyes will be on the 50m freestyle where two French people will compete in the final: Maxime Grousset and Florent Manaudou.