At 24, Jérémie Delbois is establishing himself as a rising figure in French breaststroke. The 2025 French champion in the 50 and 100 meters breaststroke, he also participated in his first world final with the French team. Portrait of a discreet yet determined swimmer.
The scene takes place at the recent World Championships in Singapore. The French team lines up for a 4×100 meter medley relay. On the breaststroke leg, Jérémie Delbois is chosen to replace Léon Marchand during the qualifications. He swims in 1’00”92. Thanks to his contribution, the French team qualifies for the final with the seventh-fastest time.
“It was a wonderful experience for me to live this with only Olympic medalists. Honestly, I was motivated, and maybe a bit too tense because of that. I felt I fell short in the first 50, but I gave it my all on the way back. I really enjoyed it,” he stated after the race. He steps aside for Léon Marchand in the final. The French team finishes as the world vice-champion.
For Jérémie Delbois, this first world selection marks an important step. He discovers the high international level and rubs shoulders with the best. He also begins to make a name for himself within a French team often dominated by more publicized figures.
French Champion and National Record
A few weeks earlier, he had distinguished himself on the national stage. On Tuesday, June 17, 2025, in Montpellier, he clinches the French championship title in the 50 meters breaststroke. He breaks the national record with a time of 27”34. Three days earlier, he had already won the 100 meters breaststroke in 1’00”17. Impressive times, but just shy of the qualifying minimums to participate in the world championships individually.
Nevertheless, they marked two major titles for this swimmer trained in Martinique. He was first registered with Espadon, a club in Fort-de-France, before joining the elite group of the Cercle des Nageurs d’Antibes in 2021. Now affiliated with Olympic Nice Natation, he continues to progress in a structured environment.
Born in 2001 in Martinique, he made a name for himself early in the pools. He is the champion of Martinique in breaststroke, across all distances, in both long and short course. In 2018, he becomes the French junior champion in the 100 meters breaststroke at the age of 17.
Since then, he has reached the national finals repeatedly, always in the breaststroke, on 50 and 100 meters. His performances gradually opened the doors to the elite level. But it is this year, at 24, that he seems to have reached a decisive milestone.
His profile is atypical in the French swimming landscape, often concentrated around the major metropolitan clubs. He is part of this new generation of overseas athletes gradually asserting itself in national selections.
Through his seriousness, consistency, and ability to perform in major events, Jérémie Delbois has established himself as a name to watch in French swimming. Much like the young Niçoise Lilou Ressencourt (22 years old) who stopped short of the 200m butterfly final at the world championships. His journey also highlights the role of overseas territories in high-level sports. And this might just be the beginning. The legacy of recently retired Charlotte Bonnet is secure.
