The appointment is fixed this Saturday evening at 7:25 p.m. (France Television). In the Budapest basin, Léon Marchand, 20, will go in search of his first world medal. And why not the most golden? The great hope of French swimming has in any case won the 400m medley series, his favorite event, in 4′09′’09 (a new French record ahead of his 4′09′’65 achieved last year ) and is one of the favorites.
“I wanted to swim about 4′10 so the contract is fulfilled, smiles the Toulousain, exiled since last fall in Arizona where he works with Bob Bowman, the former mentor of Michael Phelps. I still gave myself quite a bit, so I don’t know what margin I have for the final but in any case I will have a good line. I wasn’t going to give it my all in the playoffs. In breaststroke and crawl I can give a little more tonight (Editor’s note: Saturday evening). The sensations were super good, very cool in the water. There was a lot of stress before, I was happy to free myself. »
The great aquatic moment of Florent Manaudou is scheduled for next weekend on 50 m NL. In the meantime, the 2012 Olympic champion and 2016 and 2021 Olympic vice-champion, who is coming out of a year he himself described as “transition”, got into the water in the 50m butterfly. History to take the measure of a Duna Arena that he has already often practiced…
The captain of the Blues signed the 10th time of the series in 23′’31 (Maxime Grousset managed the 6th in 23′’07) and will participate in the semi-finals on Saturday evening. “The first race is always special, he slips. The whole process of the call room, the warm-up, the mixed zone. It’s important to know what to expect because it’s different at each World Championship. It was cool having all the guys around, racing with the homies. It was necessary to enter the 16, it is good. It’s not an incredible level for me but I will try to qualify for the final. »
Among the girls, the leader Marie Wattel, who had a rather eventful season (change in structure, pace of life, injury), took 2nd place in the series of the 100 m butterfly (57′’21) behind the ‘American Husket (56′’82). She too will play for a place in the final on Saturday evening in a race where she finished 6th at the Tokyo Olympics…