For her first individual Olympic final in the 200m freestyle, Charlotte Bonnet finished in 8th place with a time of 1’56″29. A race that should serve as a springboard for the continuation of a career that is far from over.
At 21 years old, Charlotte Bonnet has nothing to be ashamed of in her very first Olympic final. In her favorite distance, the swimmer from Nice took the eighth and last place in a final that will go down in history for the depth of its finalists and the quality of the times. While Charlotte Bonnet swam 1’56″2, Katie Ledecky won with a time of 1’53″8, and the bronze medal was decided at 1’54″9. Unreal.
Nothing to lose
After a good Monday, marked by the third-fastest time in the heats and seventh-fastest in the semi-finals, Charlotte Bonnet had nothing to lose. She started off fairly quickly (4th at the 50m), following the Swedish swimmer, Coleman, by her side. Then the favorites accelerated, and the French swimmer kept up at her pace without beating her personal record, which remains 1’56″16.
“I would have been happy to come 8th with a better time, but I enjoyed it to the fullest,” Charlotte Bonnet said to CanalPlus. “I didn’t swim the race I wanted, but an Olympic final is hard to manage. I will need more experience in the future to catch up with the girls in front.”
A smile
This Tuesday, after digesting her semi-final and while preparing for her final, the swimmer from Olympic Nice Natation did not forget to give thanks on social media: “It wasn’t the perfect race, but I am about to fulfill one of my dreams. I will swim my first individual Olympic final (a smile). I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your encouragement. See you tomorrow (last night), don’t forget to set your alarms.”
Rio, the dawn of a new era
The year 2016 will be remembered as her best, with her first individual medal at the European Championships in London in May 2016 (in the 100m). It is also the first year she regularly swims around 1’56”. The next step: breaking through this barrier and moving down to the next level, at 1’55”. Maturity came through Rio, and the future can only be brighter.
Photo credits: KMSP / S.Kempinaire / FF Natation
