Leon Marchand headlines an 18-strong France team that will travel to Beijing next month for the World Short Course Championships.
The team comprises five men and 13 women with Marchand seeking his first international short course honours. It will conclude a year in which he sustained an adductor injury at the French Championships in June which threatened his appearance at the European Championships in Paris where he won 200 fly and 400 free gold and relay silver and bronze.
Selection followed the French Elite Championships which concluded in Angers on Sunday and featured national records by Beryl Gastaldello and Sacha Velly as well as several age group standards.
Gastadello’s 100 back record of 55.66 was her 24th individual national standard amid a six-title haul. The 31-year-old now heads to Beijing next month with six world short-course medals under her belt including relay gold at Melbourne 2022.
Velly – the 2024 world and European junior open water champion – went third in the 1500 free rankings for 2026 in 14:19.11.
Maxime Grousset claimed five golds and a silver in Angers and has three medals to his name from Melbourne 2022 and Budapest 2024.
Sauveur Cristofini and Jeanne Lechevalier – both 16 – make their global short-course debuts with Lysander Osman called up for the first time.
France team for the World Short Course Championships, Beijing, 1-6 December
Women
Beryl Gastaldello
Jeanne Lechevalier
Pauline Mahieu
Mary-Ambre Moluh
Analie Pigree
Men
Carl Aitkaci
David Aubry
Sauveur Cristofini
Roman Fuchs
Maxime Grousset
Damien Joly
Leon Marchand
Emile Mattenet
Yohann Ndoye Brouard
Lysander Osman
Clement Secchi
Mewen Tomac
Wissam-Amazigh Yebba
