French swimming sensation Mary-Ambre Moluh has rewritten the national record books at the French Swimming Championships in Saint-Étienne, clocking a blistering 58.25 seconds in the 100-meter backstroke according to Dicodusport.
Breaking Records in Saint-Étienne
Competing at the national championships while global attention remained fixed on Léon Marchand’s withdrawal from subsequent events, Mary-Ambre Moluh seized the spotlight. Beyond her remarkable 100-meter backstroke swim, she also captured the 50-meter backstroke national record with a time of 27.20 seconds, eclipsing Analia Pigrée’s prior benchmark, as reported by Dicodusport.
The 100-meter performance stands out as the most significant milestone of the meet. Moluh finished just 17 centiems shy of the European record held by Great Britain’s Kathleen Dawson. Her time of 58.25 marks the top European performance of the year and places her fifth in the global season rankings, trailing only Regan Smith (57.49), Isabelle Stadden (57.55), Kaylee McKeown (57.77), and Katharine Berkoff (58.20), according to Dicodusport.
“Cela me fait plaisir de battre le record de France, de me qualifier pour les Championnats d’Europe. Je ne suis pas quelqu’un qui reste au fond du trou, je me remobilise vite,” Moluh told France TV after shaking off an earlier disappointment in the 100-meter freestyle.
From Créteil to California: A Rigorous Path
Born on September 9, 2005, Moluh first encountered sports with the “P’tits Béliers” at US Créteil Multisports before stepping into competitive swimming at age six with US Créteil Natation, according to US Créteil. At age 11, she entered the sports-study program at Victor Hugo secondary school in Créteil, where she embraced serious competition.
Her development accelerated under coach Théo Amable at the Sainte-Catherine swimming pool. By age 13, she claimed her first junior national record in the 50-meter freestyle at the winter national championships. Her breakout continued in 2019 in Dunkerque, where she won the junior 50-meter backstroke title and finished as runner-up in the 100-meter backstroke, earning her a spot on France’s junior national team for the European Youth Olympic Festival in Azerbaijan.
According to RMC Sport, as referenced by Dicodusport, her long-time coach in France, Michel Chrétien, observed her physical and mental evolution during her second year in America, noting: "Elle est partie aux États-Unis avec une première année d’adaptation où elle n’a pas fait un travail énorme," and adding, "La deuxième année, she has been more demanding regarding her training, demanding toward the staff, and demanding toward herself." She really worked hard this year.
Looking Ahead to the European Championships
With her stellar times in Saint-Étienne, Moluh has locked in her qualification for the upcoming European Championships, scheduled to take place in France from July 31 to August 16. Having already secured international hardware at age 18—including a bronze medal in the 100-meter backstroke at the 2023 European Short Course Championships and a senior national 50-meter title in Limoges—the young French backstroker enters the home championship stretch with genuine podium aspirations.
Worth a look
