A scent of France is blowing over Budapest! While waiting for the ogre Marchand a little later on Wednesday evening, the Blues have indeed won two medals in a few minutes at the World Swimming Championships. After Maxime Grousset’s silver in the 100m freestyle final, Analia Pigrée took third place in the 50m backstroke final in 27′’40, just ahead of Canadian Kylie Masse (27′’31) and the American Katharine Berkoff (27′’39).
A preparation disrupted by a shoulder injury
“It was really fantastic. Already in the semis we were tight, reacted the Guyanese on France 4. It really didn’t matter at all. The start and the touch made the difference. I really worked on these two sectors. I lengthened the touch, I go from afar to touch the wall. I go through all the emotions. The atmosphere in the team is exceptional. Maxime Grousset warmed the line for me, he was in 3rd like me and I knew he had won a great silver medal… In addition I am short-sighted so I did not see right away that I had a medal. »
The Guyanese, who came to mainland France at the age of 15 to train in Font-Romeu, discovered the big world and wanted to take advantage of it: “Finishing third is exceptional for my first World Championships. So I’m very happy and very proud of myself.” Especially since his preparation was disrupted by a shoulder injury contracted at the start of the year. For Pigrée, this medal marks “the beginning of (his) career”. “I’m proud of myself and I hope my parents are proud of me because they sacrificed a lot,” she said.
Contagious happiness at the end of a historic evening for the French team, with Léon Marchand’s world title in the 200m medley (his second of the week, plus a silver medal in the 200m butterfly on Tuesday) and the money won by Maxime Grousset in the 100m. This is the first time that the Blues (who already have six charms in Hungary) have won three medals in the same evening at the Worlds. Two years from the Games in Paris, it looks like a real beautiful renaissance for tricolor swimming.