If Anna Santamans brilliantly qualified for the 50m freestyle final, Charlotte Bonnet finished 7th in the 200m freestyle, and Marie Wattel stopped in the semi-finals of the 200m butterfly. This Sunday, the last day of competition, was a chance to shine and win a second medal after the one Santamans earned on Friday evening.
Disappointment is the word used to describe Charlotte Bonnet’s 200m freestyle. With high-caliber competitors, including the Italian Federica Pellegrini, experts expected a fast final under 1’55”. Ultimately, the title was won in 1’56” and the third place in 1’56″81, which is above the personal record of the Olympic Nice Swimming club swimmer (1’56″63).
“It’s frustrating because I tell myself that the race wasn’t swum as fast as it could have been. Pellegrini didn’t dominate the race, the 1’56” was well within my reach. It annoys me not to swim, today, at the level I would like.” Charlotte Bonnet regrets.
At her best physical and mental level, the Nice swimmer could have stepped onto the podium and earned her first individual international medal in a long-course event. Undoubtedly, Fabrice Pellerin’s protégé regrets a “mediocre” physical condition and the events that affected her, both personal and professional, with the career end of Camille Muffat, her friend and headliner of the Nice club.
For Marie Wattel, the objective was entirely different. A year after discovering the very high level at the World Championships in Barcelona, the 17-year-old swimmer had to gain experience and enjoy herself. This was achieved with a personal record in the 50m, 100m, and 200m butterfly. This Saturday, she even qualified for the semi-finals of the 200m butterfly, and on this occasion, she broke her personal record by 5 tenths (2’12″33 against 2’12″86).
“It’s satisfying to have beaten my records because few have the chance to improve their times. I still want to do better; my races are not perfect.” explained Marie Wattel after her semi-final.
Anna Santamans, a sprint freestyle specialist, had only one date in mind, this Saturday, August 23, and her favorite distance, the 50m. With the ninth-fastest time among the entrants, she swam fast from the morning to secure the 7th best time in the heats (25″15). In the evening session, the Nice swimmer repeated this performance with the 8th best time (25″03), meaning qualification for the final.
“That was the goal of the day, to reach the final, and it’s done. I qualified by a very narrow margin (1 hundredth) but tomorrow everything is open. I will give my best, knowing that outside people might pay less attention to me, so why not climb a few places.” Anna Santamans explained after her qualification for the 50m freestyle final.
From our special correspondent in Berlin: Clément Bigois
