Amiens Metropole Natation at the French Short-Course Swimming Championships, Digi Mart USA News: The Amiens Metropole Natation (AMN) club performed well at the French short-course swimming championships, winning three podiums and reaching about fifteen finals. Coach Alexandre Legrand said no specific targets had been set because the event took place early in the season.
Legrand said the club was not especially prepared for the event, as was true of other structures as well. He noted, however, a strong rate of progress, with a 70% improvement in personal bests, which he described as significant.
“It is a very good championship for the club,” he said.
Jeanne Lechevalier, described as a rising star of the club and French swimming, was the standout performer at the event in Angers. She won bronze in the 200m freestyle and the 100m backstroke, and silver in the 200m backstroke, where she finished just 17 hundredths of a second behind winner Pauline Mahieu.
Legrand said Lechevalier had no regrets, noting her joy at the finish and her smile on the podium.
Lechevalier also achieved qualifying times in the 50m, 100m and 200m backstroke. Her second-place finish in the 200m backstroke earned her a selection with the French national team for the World Championships in Beijing, taking place in a little less than a month.
Corentin Pouillard, who had hoped for a podium finish, was satisfied with two A finals. Legrand said Pouillard was not visibly disappointed, though he missed a place on the 4x200m freestyle relay after two swimmers were reinstated on the relay selection based on ranking.
Legrand suggested Pouillard might feel more regret in hindsight. Pouillard trains at the INSEP national institute, so Legrand sees him only rarely.
Legrand also highlighted Hugo Bocaert, who reached an A final. Bocaert swam the 100m backstroke in under 52 seconds twice, and Legrand said swimming around 51 seconds at senior level signals promising results for the 2027 season if he continues to progress.
The club’s next events come quickly. Jeanne Lechevalier begins an acclimatization training camp in China on November 22, ahead of the World Championships from December 1 to 6.
The French Junior Championships will follow from December 8 to 12 in Massy, in the Paris region. Legrand said it is not yet decided whether Lechevalier will compete in both events, since she returns to Paris on December 7.
He added that the club’s strength this season lies in its youth and development potential rather than in the experience of its swimmers.
