At home, the swimmers of Olympic Nice Nation got off to a good start to the season in the long course pool. Charlotte Bonnet triumphed in two events, including the prestigious 100m freestyle. At the same time, Marie Wattel and Cloé Hache, 17, are making progress week after week. Anna Santamans confirmed her status in sprinting. Reactions and reviews with the two coaches of ONN.
Charlotte Bonnet
Five races, four podium finishes, including two victories. The torchbearer of French swimming (19 years old) did not miss her first winter meeting. A successful first day of competition with an initial victory in the 100m breaststroke (1’10”07) before just missing the podium in the 100m butterfly (1’0”21). She dedicated the rest of the Golden Tour meet to her favorite distances with a 3rd place in the 200m freestyle (1’59”62) and the 400m freestyle (4’15”65). Then, the grand finale for Fabrice Pellerin’s protégée with a win in the 100m freestyle in 54”96, just 5 tenths off her personal record.
Her reaction: “I wanted to go under 55” in the 100m freestyle, and I’m happy I made it. The goal this weekend was to swim a lot without worrying too much about it.”
Anna Santamans
The Nice sprinter, weakened by a virus before the competition, had an excellent Friday by taking 2nd place in the 50m freestyle (25”49), just 8 tenths off her personal record. The rest of the weekend was tougher, with a 6th place finish in the 50m butterfly and eliminations in the heats for the 100m freestyle, the 50m backstroke, and the 100m butterfly.
Her coach Maxime Leutenegger’s assessment: “The comeback was difficult because we are in a rather complex training phase. Anna is a pure sprinter; she needs a lot of rest to perform. She is a competitor, she improves in competitions surrounded by others. Against the best, she manages to elevate her level. After Berlin and Doha, she has taken a leap forward.”
Marie Wattel
At 17, the butterfly swimmer from Nice continues to progress. Competed in six events, she particularly shined in the 100m butterfly with a victory in 59”47, just 5 tenths off her personal best. Similarly, in the 50m butterfly, she finished 2nd in 26”91 (4 tenths off her best performance) behind Mélanie Hénique. Notably, she placed 4th in the 200m butterfly, 7th in the 50m freestyle, and in the 200m individual medley.
Her reaction: “The results are quite positive. In butterfly, I’m posting good times, which is great for the start of the season. I had good feelings all weekend. The important thing was to manage the races. In the upcoming meets (Amiens and Marseille), I will build on these races and try to shave off some tenths.”
Cloé Hache
With five qualifications in six races and some impressive performances, it was a successful meet for the very young Nice specialist of short distances. Her standout performance was a 3rd place finish in the 100m freestyle behind Charlotte Bonnet and the Swedish Michelle Coleman. With a time of 55”79, she was only 4 tenths off her personal best set at the French Championships in Chartres in 2014. In her other races, she placed 4th in the 50m butterfly, 6th in the 50m freestyle, and 7th in the 100m butterfly.
Her reaction: “I’m very happy with my 100m freestyle for a first competition. I feel like I’m close to my best time and can improve. It’s a very positive weekend. For the next competitions, I’d like to lower my times and gain confidence in the 200m.”
