Gold, silver, bronze, the Nice swimmers won it all in the London pools. Camille Muffat, Yannick Agnel, Clément Lefert, and Charlotte Bonnet came to present their medals on the Promenade des Anglais. Anna Santamans accompanied them. The public was more than delighted!
“It’s wonderful to see them in person, it warms the heart. It’s especially for the children, it’s an example. My daughter completely admires Camille Muffat.” This mother was not alone in the crowd. Despite the long wait, many people from the Côte d’Azur came to thank their swimmers. Yannick Agnel reciprocated: “Thank you all for supporting us this week, we couldn’t have succeeded without you. It feels good to shine with family,” affirmed the Nice transplant.
In the double-decker bus, Camille Muffat, Yannick Agnel, Clément Lefert, Charlotte Bonnet, and Anna Santamans waved to the crowd English-style. Cameras flashed along the roadside. This unique moment needed to be captured: after all, there were nine Olympic medals, including four golds, gathered. The French flag waved, the Marseillaise resonated: with the Bay of Angels as a backdrop, it almost felt like being at the Aquatics Center.
The spectators were unanimous; pride reigned supreme. Their performances were rediscovered on a giant screen, and the “wow” of euphoria echoed like a summer hit. It was an ovation. Better yet, a refrain was even composed to honor them: “Camille, Charlotte, Anna, Yannick, Clément, we are here for our Nice stars.” The members of the Olympic Nice Natation didn’t hesitate to applaud. They rewarded their most fervent supporters with a photo and autograph session. Despite everything, it was difficult to make one’s way through the media frenzy.
Despite this success, Fabrice Pellerin’s protégés, the coach, remain down-to-earth. Simple and modest, they will benefit from “an Olympic pool in the heart of Charles Erhmann”, said the mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi. Yannick Agnel was more than delighted: “It should further enhance our performances!” The coach, whose tie depicts swimmers in action, couldn’t help but remind everyone that “all trained hard to achieve this success.”
Just back from London, the athletes returned there to attend the end of the Games and the closing ceremony. It was a visual pleasure before diving back into the ONN pools. Their next ambition? The Rio 2016 Olympics, where they certainly plan to do even better.
