Marie Wattel leaves Marseille… for the United States!

After a disappointing Paris Olympic Games, Marie Wattel will take a new turn in her career. The 27-year-old swimmer from Haut-Savoy will leave the Marseille Swimmers’ Circle. “I saw myself ending my career in Marseille (…) I had a meeting at the beginning of September with Romain Barnier, the sports director, who explained to me that they had other plans and it didn't work out with mine. Unfortunately they had other desires and I wasn't necessarily into them. Looking back, I thank them for their honesty. It allowed me to look at other opportunities,” explains Wattel in an interview with L’Equipe.

The swimmer from Annecy will now train under the guidance of Herbie Behm at the University of Arizona. Where a certain Léon Marchand rehearsed his scales for three years. “To be honest, I had also thought about Australia, I really like Australian culture but it was less open than the United States. I asked Léon who told me I was going to have a blast. It definitely inspired me a little. He reassured me in my choice,” explains the woman who has just had surgery on her knee, which suffered a total rupture of the cruciate ligaments in December 2023.

A four-year cycle until the Los Angeles 2028 Games thus begins before Marie Wattel, who will be keen to already qualify for the next Worlds in Singapore (July 27-August 3, 2025).