Yannick Agnel was the revelation of these championships with a brilliant and unexpected victory in the 400-meter freestyle, beating the reigning Olympic champion, the German Bidermann, and then following up with a strong performance in the relay. Camille, somewhat disappointed with her individual result (4th place), still managed to achieve ‘her’ medal, also in the relay.
All the elite of Nice sports responded to the invitation from the elected officials leading the political institutions. The evening in the Gardens of the Masséna Museum was also an opportunity to learn that an Olympic-standard Swimming Center will be developed on the grounds around the Stade Charles Ehrmann within two years (Nice Premium will return to this project later).
However, all high-level sports actors know well that there is no champion without a coach who trains and guides them. For the Nice swimming scene and its flagship club, Olympique Natation, the name of its mentor and guru is Fabrice Pellerin, a modest personality but with exceptional skills.
It was to him that Nice Premium wanted to ask for an assessment and especially the prospects for the careers of Nice’s champions.
Fabrice Pellerin: It is obviously a great satisfaction to see the accomplishment of his work through the results. Yannick Agnel is a natural talent, and I am only ‘responsible’ for helping him make the best choices and supporting him daily: do not forget that he is an 18-year-old, despite showing an astonishing maturity for his age.
Nice Premium: How do you plan to guide Agnel’s future? By specializing him in one distance or, on the contrary, allowing him the freedom to swim the 100, 200, and 400 meters with the training challenges that entail?
F.P.: I do not believe that at 18 years, one can make definitive choices. Yannick still has considerable room for improvement, and he needs to maintain the pleasure of swimming and the desire to compete with others.
French swimming is rich with swimmers of great quality, and the primary objective remains to qualify for international competitions, with the French championships already being a first step.
It is preferable for him to remain versatile to prepare for any underperformances. Do not forget that he did not compete in the 200 meters in Budapest due to the lack of qualification at the French championships.
N.P.: Next deadline: the London Olympics in 2012?
F.P.: No, the next step will be the French championships in March. And don’t forget the World Championships in the summer and, of course, the Olympics in 2012.
But I am not exclusive; swimming offers a range of important competitions, and I do not think a swimmer’s career should be limited to the Olympic competition every four years. You know that, in swimming, four years is a very long period, and it is necessary to approach the events one after another.
N.P.: Will Agnel be able to balance swimming and studies?
F.P.: He did it this year with his baccalaureate and his daily school obligations. It is clear that for the next two years, the priority will be given to swimming, considering that he will have the possibility to have a more flexible schedule for his university studies [editor’s note: he will join Skema for management studies]. He has a sporting will that allows him to approach his commitments with great pleasure, and he evolves in an environment that suits him. I take this opportunity to say that it is out of the question for Yannick to go to the United States to train, as other French swimmers have done and will do, at least not in the short and medium term.
N.P.: Let’s now talk about Camille Muffat, whose fourth place in the individual can’t be considered satisfactory…
F.P.: Yes and no. It is always a great performance, even if it is not the one hoped for. Camille is 20 years old, two more than Yannick, but she is not yet fully mature, which is reflected in her sporting activity.
N.P.: A question of mentality?
F.P.: I believe that Camille needs to take a skills assessment and understand her weaknesses and try to correct them.
After the Beijing Olympics, the European championships are the second international competition where she hasn’t met her goals. So she needs to ask herself the question.
