She exploded with joy and rage. During her victory in the 200m medley, Friday evening in Chartres, during the French championships, Charlotte Bonnet was exultant. With a time of 2’11”18, she qualified as an individual for the Paris Olympic Games – she had already won her place for the 4 x 100m freestyle and 4 x 100m medley relays. The 29-year-old swimmer, who will retire after the Games, will become the first French swimmer in history to compete in four Olympic Games.
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A risky swimming change
“To qualify and say to myself, f*****, I did it, it’s a huge relief, she reacted afterwards. It’s like qualifying for my first Games. Today I realize, at 29 years old, the joy that participating in the Games can bring. The road has been very, very long, with many wonderful moments and many pitfalls and I am proud to have overcome them. »
On the podium, the Frenchwoman had difficulty holding back her tears. Former swimmers Coralie Balmy and Jordan Pothain accompanied her on the top step.
Charlotte Bonnet, European champion in the 200m freestyle in 2018, decided to change her stroke two years ago and give up the crawl to try the breaststroke. In Chartres, she had missed her qualification in the 100m breaststroke and the 100m crawl. The 200m medley was his last chance.
Bronze medalist at the London Games in the 4 x 200m freestyle relay, at just 17 years old, Charlotte Bonnet then had an up-and-down career and never made it to the Olympics. But her track record, particularly in Europe, makes her one of the great champions of this sport.
