End of the European Championships in apotheosis for Maxime Grousset. The New Caledonian, ideally placed in water line number 4 during the 100m freestyle final, perfectly assumed his status as favorite and won in 45″46. The Frenchman was however a few hundredths behind after the last turn but, thanks to a splendid last length, he caught up with the Italian Alessandro Miressi, who failed in second place. David Popovici completes the podium.
This is the second European title for the swimmer, who won the mixed 4×100 long course in 2022. This Sunday, he completed an almost perfect race, achieving the best time of the year over the distance. Titled in the 100m butterfly at the World Championships in Fukuoka last July, he has a magnificent year in 2023.
Several other French people shone this Sunday. Anastasiia Kirpichnikova and Mewen Tomac did not go far from two exceptional hat-tricks. Already titled twice this week, the two Tricolores won two new medals.
The first named, of Russian origin and recently naturalized French, only failed by six hundredths against the Italian Simona Quadarella. The student of Philippe Lucas completed his 400m freestyle in 3′59″56.
Shortly before her, Mewen Tomac had started the last evening of the France team well. After winning the title in the 50 m backstroke on Wednesday then the 100 m backstroke on Friday, the swimmer from Amiens this time won the bronze medal in the 200 m backstroke by completing the distance in 1′48″55, a new French record at the key. The first three in the race are in twelve hundredths. In the same final, Yohann Ndoye Brouard took fifth place.
No medal, however, for Émilien Mattenet in the 400m medley. The 23-year-old swimmer took seventh place in the final won by Italian Alberto Razzetti.
