Twenty-four hours after a frustrating day (two fourth places), Charlotte Bonnet adorned herself with gold in the 200m freestyle. The swimmer from Nice mastered the race to claim her first major international title. Gigantic!
The perfect race. Yes, the 22-year-old from Nice had been searching for a breakthrough race for several years. It happened in the Copenhagen pool, this Saturday, December 16 at 6 pm. Second after 50m, Charlotte Bonnet shifted into second and even third gear halfway through the race. The final stretch was merely a formality. Fabrice Pellerin’s protégé could elate, as her name and the French flag proudly stood at the top of the rankings with an excellent time of 1’52’’19.
Emotion
On the French Swimming Federation’s website, the new European champion of the 200m freestyle did not hide her immense joy: “It’s just crazy. I really did not expect to win tonight because I hadn’t gained much confidence in the French championships at this distance, and the level was high,” the swimmer from Nice admitted as she exited the pool. “Honestly, I thought I would take the second or third place. It’s my first time hearing ‘La Marseillaise,’ and on top of that, I achieved a great time. I’m really very happy. Now I’m thinking back to so many things. Everything I’ve done, all the work I’ve put in over the years. Today I’m on the highest step of the podium, and if someone had told me this would happen one day, I wouldn’t have believed it. I’ve been waiting for this victory for five years, and I just want to savor this moment.”
Opponents Knocked Out
The front-runner of French swimming can boast of having outclassed references in this distance. Over a second behind, on the second step of the podium, is the Dutch swimmer Femke Heemskerk. The Swedish swimmer, Michelle Coleman, finished just off the podium, more than two seconds behind Charlotte Bonnet. And if this first international title was the spark for new performances in the long course, facing world-class competitors—it’s too soon to tell, but the rhetoric suggests it, and her smile speaks volumes about the relief of finally hearing the national anthem.
