The old Lyon-Vaise swimming pool, built in 1972 and soon to be renovated, undoubtedly experienced one of the most beautiful weekends in its history. Florent Manaudou had decided to take advantage of the Open des Gones to continue his build-up in preparation for the Olympic Games. At 4:42 p.m. this Sunday, May 5, for the 50m freestyle final, the too small handful of spectators (despite the free entry) only had eyes for him. The swimmer from Villeurbanne had not come to swim here since 2009, when he was only 18 years old.
In the stand, his father and president of the Auvergne – Rhône-Alpes Swimming League Jean-Luc Manaudou, his mother Olga and his childhood friends who came in large numbers to encourage him as neighbors from Ambérieu-en-Bugey (Ain).
“It was a weekend full of energy and emotion”
Back in the shoes of a quadruple Olympic medalist, Manaudou attracted all the looks and applause. In his favorite discipline, the one in which he was crowned in London in 2012, “the Gorilla” won in 21 seconds and 83 hundredths. A time 12 hundredths faster than that achieved in Friday’s series.
Nothing illogical, on the contrary: “It was a weekend full of energy and emotion because I saw lots of people again that I had not seen for a very long time,” he explained on a bike. apartment at the edge of the paddling pool serving as a recovery pool. I chose to do the first 50 at full speed this Friday because I knew that I was going to leave some energy in the weekend, especially with the two 100m that I swam on Saturday. »
And where he finished second in the final behind Maxime Grousset. “I would have liked to do 48″9 but I am 12 hundredths away. But the big positive point is my two 50m. » A “lovely weekend” to quote the message sent by his British coach James Gibson.
“I woke up this Sunday at 10:30 a.m. with glued eyes, I was nervous. My coaches told me to enjoy my day and activate at the last moment. » After a brunch with his childhood friends, the graduate of the Cercle des nageurs de Marseille only arrived at the swimming pool in the 9th arrondissement of Lyon until around 2 p.m. “My competition weekend ended on Friday evening in fact, Saturday and Sunday it was work. It was well done. » With a Friday time of 21″71, the 9th world performance of the year.
“When you want to win a medal, why not take the best one? »
Enough to satisfy the 33-year-old champion: “I’m starting to tell myself that it’s possible to do more. 21″7 in prep, it’s been a long time since I did it. It is very good. I am now returning to training for the hardest three weeks of the year. These are the last three where you can afford to work very hard without it having an impact on the final performance. »
With all the same an enchanted interlude this Wednesday, May 8 when he will be, in Marseille, the first bearer of the Olympic flame on French soil. “I won’t talk about it, I don’t have the right, I don’t want to be yelled at. » Too bad, but his broad smile says everything about the emotion that will pierce him.
Waiting for another explosion at the Olympics with a final Olympic medal? At a press conference this Saturday, May 4, the swimmer had, as always, set the bar very high when he was questioned about his ambition: “To win. As per usual. That doesn’t mean I’m going to win. But when you want to win a medal, why not take the best one? »
Even if the swimmer had taken care to specify: “For the moment I am not qualified. » Hence the imperative to gain momentum in view of the French Championships in Chartres (June 16 to 21), precisely qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
