Charlotte Bonnet took fourth place in the 100m freestyle with a time close to her personal best. The swimmer from Nice once again missed out on the podium, as she did in the 4x100m relay, but she progresses with each competition.
Seventh in Berlin in August 2014. Fourth in London in May 2016. At 21 years old, Charlotte Bonnet was the least experienced in this continental final on Wednesday evening. This did not stop Fabrice Pellerin’s student from achieving the best performance of her career in an individual event. Fourth at the 50m mark (26’’21), she was already trailing the three “favorites” for the medals by nearly four-tenths of a second. At the finish, the swimmer from Olympic Nice Natation clocked a time of 54’’01, just eight hundredths of a second off her personal best achieved in early April in Montpellier.
No Regrets
The podium was “almost” out of reach given the credentials of Sarah Sjoström and Ranomi Kromowidjojo. Even Femke Heemskerk, viewed as a potential bronze medalist, had titles to her name. To win her first international medal in an individual event, she would have needed to beat her personal best by more than two-tenths of a second. “I lacked experience; I was the youngest in the final. I have no regrets. I did what I had to do, and it’s difficult to swim very fast in a final. I’m happy, and now I’m focusing on the 200m and the relays,” Charlotte Bonnet explained to France Television.
Promises
Capable of consistently delivering high-level performances and quality times around and under 54’’5, Charlotte Bonnet is reaching new milestones with each competition that could take her high, even very high. Now it’s time for the 200m (heats on Friday, final on Saturday) and the 4x200m relay, starting today with a chance for a medal.
