Paris 2024 Olympic Games: to the flames, victory and a “job well done” in Lyon for Florent Manadou

The old Lyon-Vaise swimming pool, built in 1972 and soon to be renovated, undoubtedly experienced one of the most beautiful weekends in its history. Florent Manadou decided to take advantage of the Open des Gones to continue his preparations for the Olympic Games. This Sunday, May 5, at 4:42 p.m., at the 50-meter freestyle final, too few spectators (despite free entry) had their eyes on him. The swimmer from Villeurbanne has not come here to swim since 2009, when he was just 18 years old.

On the stand are his father and President of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Swimming League Jean-Luc Manaudou, his mother Olga and his childhood friends who came in large numbers to support him, like neighbors from Amberrier-en-Buget (Aisne).

“It was a weekend full of energy and emotion”

Back in the shoes of a four-time Olympic medalist, Manaudou attracted all eyes and applause. In his favorite discipline, the one in which he was crowned in London in 2012, “Gorilla” won with a score of 21 seconds and 83 hundredths. The time is 12 hundredths faster than that achieved in Friday’s episode.

Nothing counterintuitive, on the contrary: “It was a weekend full of energy and emotion because I saw a lot of people again that I hadn’t seen for a long time,” he explained in a bicycle apartment on the edge of a children’s pool. acting as a backup pool. This Friday I decided to run the first 50m hard because I knew I would have some energy left over the weekend, especially with the two 100m events I swam on Saturday. »

And where in the final he finished second after Maxime Grousset. “I would like to do 48″9, but I’m 12 hundredths away. But the big positive thing is my two 50-meter distances. “A wonderful weekend,” to quote the message from his British coach James Gibson.

“This Sunday I woke up at 10:30 with my eyes glued shut, nervous. My coaches told me to enjoy my day and step up at the last minute. » After brunch with childhood friends, the Cercle des Nageurs de Marseille graduate arrived at the pool in Lyon’s 9th arrondissement just before 2 p.m. “My competitive weekend ended on Friday night, Saturday and Sunday it was work. It was well done. » On Friday at 21″71, this is the 9th world performance of the year.

“If you want to win a medal, why not take the best one? »

Enough to satisfy the 33-year-old champion: “I start telling myself that more can be done. 21 inch 7 in preparation, I haven’t done this in a long time. This is very good. I’m now back to training for the hardest three weeks of the year. These are the last three that you can afford to work very hard on without affecting the end result. »

Yet it will be a charming interlude this Wednesday, May 8, when in Marseille he becomes the first bearer of the Olympic flame on French soil. “I won’t talk about it, I don’t have the right, I don’t want to be shouted at. “It’s a pity, but his wide smile says everything about the emotions that will pierce him.

Are you looking forward to another explosion at the Olympics with the final Olympic medal? At a press conference this Saturday, May 4, the swimmer, as always, set the bar very high when asked about his ambitions: “To win. As usual. This doesn’t mean I’ll win. But if you want to win a medal, why not take the best one? »

Even if the swimmer took the trouble to clarify: “I am not qualified at this time. » Hence the need to gain momentum in light of the French Championships in Chartres (June 16-21), which is a qualification for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.