The four swimmers from Olympic Nice Natation, Charlotte Bonnet, Anna Santamans, Marie Wattel, and Cloรฉ Hache, will be at the Rio Olympic Games. Bonnet and Santamans will be experiencing it for the second time, unlike Wattel and Hache, for whom it will be their first time.
The good news arrived around 4:30 PM. After a week of tension in Montpellier and three days of waiting, which was terrible for the swimmers, the selection for Rio was announced. Charlotte Bonnet was guaranteed her spot after winning the 200m freestyle with the required time. She will be, along with Coralie Balmy, the captain of the 4x100m and 4x200m relays.
Anna Santamans, the French champion in the 50m freestyle, had missed the qualifying time by 0.02 seconds but was logically selected by the National Technical Direction. “It’s finally official, I can’t believe I’m heading to my second Olympic Games,” the sprinter shared on her official Facebook page.
The young generation will indeed be present
At 18, Marie Wattel will experience her first Olympic Games. She is expected to compete in the 100m butterfly, her favored distance where she was crowned the French champion. “A wonderful day ends with the announcement of my participation in the Rio Olympics. Pure happiness! Can’t wait to get back in the water,” the butterfly swimmer wrote on her Facebook page.
It will also be a first for Cloรฉ Hache, who expressed feeling “proud” on her Facebook page. She will be useful in the various relays. The youngest of ONN and the French team finished 4th in the 200m freestyle and 7th in the 100m in Montpellier.
The entire team is now entitled to a few well-deserved days of vacation before switching back to “Road To Rio,” the slogan of French swimming. The next objective is the European Championships in London from May 16 to 22, serving as a stepping stone towards Brazil.
Photo credit: French Swimming Federation / Stephane Kempinaire / KMSP
