“We must maintain this motivation for the 2024 Games”
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With already five medals won since the start of the European Championships in Rome, which ends on Wednesday August 17, the swimmers trained by Michel Chrétien have distinguished themselves with their performances since August 11. The team composed in 2018 by the coach of the National Institute of Sport and Performance (INSEP) is now reaching maturity, like Maxime Grousset (silver medalist in the 50m butterfly), Yohann Ndoye Brouard (gold medal in the 200m backstroke), or even Emma Terebo (6e of the 100m backstroke).
At the time of taking stock of the European and world championships which preceded them in July, the coach and his swimmers already have their eyes turned towards the Paris Olympics in 2024.
What is the outcome of these European championships in Rome?
The results are generally positive. I was quite worried after the world championships [qui ont eu lieu du 18 juin au 3 juillet à Budapest], because we had a very short preparation before the start of the events in Rome. All the swimmers had a rather difficult start to the competition, they were afraid of not finding their best level because they felt tired after the worlds.
But they quickly remobilized and got back into the game. Overall, everyone is satisfied with their results. They all found their level, even if there were exceptions and surprises like for Yohann [Ndoye Brouard].
How did it surprise you?
He really raised his level of performance during these European championships. He is quite unpredictable, however, in this competition, he was able to find a balance and he was able to remobilize after each difficulty. He likes competition and when he is in the “game”, as he says, he is very motivated.
Mary-Ambre Moluh, your youngest swimmer (16 years old), took part in her first European championships. How did she handle the pressure?
For her, it was relatively complicated insofar as she was coming out of the junior world championships, where she had shone and won five medals. She arrived very quickly in seniors, it was an abrupt experience for her.
However, she did not regain her level, she was significantly at a lower level [6e du 50 m dos à Rome, elle n’a pas franchi les séries du 100 m dos]. But a few days ago, she told me that she was looking forward to resuming training in September to precisely get into the world championships in 2023.
What lessons can be learned from this series of championships
unprecedented world-European championships?
In the future, we should avoid this overlap because it is still very difficult mentally, physically but also in the preparation. It is very complicated for swimmers to have a peak of form.
It was already necessary for them to qualify for the French championships in Limoges in April. Two months later, the athletes chained the world championships and a month and a half later, they had to leave for the European championships. We hope that this exceptional and unprecedented situation will not happen again. However, it was a challenge for them.
The goal now is Paris 2024?
Yes, we are on the road. The year before the Olympics, if you want to succeed, you have to be in the top eight at the Worlds. At the world championships next year, it will therefore be necessary to either confirm its hierarchy if the swimmers were in the first eight this year, or to access it. At INSEP, we have a group of swimmers who have already qualified for the most part since the world championships in July. We will therefore have to maintain this motivation and this desire to progress, but we still have a little time to prepare.
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