After an exciting first part of the season in the 25-meter pool, it’s now time for the 50-meter pool, which opens this Friday, December 20. And what a first meeting, since 580 swimmers will meet at the Gilbert-Bozon swimming pool, in Tours, for the Grand Ouest national meeting.
Locals in the spotlight?
Six teams from Indre-et-Loire will point behind the cones and will try to raise their respective colors as high as possible.
Behind the EN Tours (24 swimmers), a real locomotive and which will also play at home, the other local clubs – AC Amboisien (6 swimmers), CN Chinon (4 swimmers), Joué Natation (3 swimmers), Loches ACN (3 swimmers ), US Chambray (1 swimmer) – have multiple objectives, between chasing times for some and gaining experience at the highest level for others.
On the Tourangeaux side, the junior girls who won medals at the French championships held at the beginning of December will swim in front of their audience. Edène Bigot, Camille Varloteaux and Océane Guay are likely to once again liven up the debates.
First of all, Edène Bigot is entered in the four races in which she holds the crown of French junior champion: 50 m and 100 m butterfly, as well as 50 m and 100 m backstroke. However, the Tourangelle will have a lot to do since, if it hopes to achieve such a performance, it will have to get rid of multiple adversaries depending on the distances and swims: Cagnard (CPB Rennes), Saudrais (AC Bourges), Maurice (Vannes) and Van Noort (Angers).
The favorite CPB Rennes
Among the biggest expected medal providers, the swimmers from the Cercle Paul Bert de Rennes, who travel with 33 representatives, are likely to be well placed. Indeed, in the wake of Jules Guérin, who has the best record in the 50 m freestyle (22”70), 50 m backstroke (24”78), 100 m (50”45) and 200 m freestyle (1’51” 20), but also the Moroccan international Jawad Abdelmoula – winner of several triathlon world cups and 3e of the WTS in Hamburg in 2022 who will compete in the middle distance events – the Breton chances of medals are numerous.
> Friday December 20: 50 m freestyle, 50 m breaststroke, 50 m backstroke, 50 m butterfly, 1,500 m freestyle.
> Saturday December 21: 200 m freestyle, 100 m breaststroke, 200 m butterfly, 200 m medley, 100 m backstroke, 800 m freestyle.
> Sunday December 22: 400 m medley, 200 m backstroke, 100 m butterfly, 400 m freestyle, 200 m breaststroke, 100 m freestyle.
