In a surprising December long course meet, Maxime Grousset just shattered his personal bests, leaving us wondering: is this the year France dominates the freestyle relays?
The 17th Meeting National des Hortillons, held in Amiens, France from December 19-21, 2025, wasn't your typical end-of-year swim meet. While most swimmers are winding down, Maxime Grousset was winding up, delivering performances that demand attention. Fresh off a medal haul at the European Short Course Championships, the 26-year-old Frenchman continued his dominance, sweeping his events: the 50m freestyle (21.51), 100m freestyle (47.33), and 200m freestyle (1:46.31). But here's where it gets exciting: both his 50m and 200m freestyle times were lifetime bests, showcasing his incredible versatility.
Grousset, representing Cs Clichy 92, has firmly established himself as France's second-best swimmer, trailing only the phenomenal Leon Marchand. His ability to excel across sprint and middle-distance freestyle events is a game-changer for France's relay prospects, especially looking ahead to the 2028 Olympics. And this is the part most people miss: his 200m freestyle time catapults him to the 4th fastest Frenchman in history, a testament to his rapidly evolving skillset.
Just look at the all-time rankings for the men's 200m freestyle (long course) in France:
- Yannick Agnel: 1:43.14 (2012)
- Jeremy Stravius: 1:45.61 (2013)
- Roman Fuchs: 1:46.11 (2025)
- Maxime Grousset: 1:46.31 (2025)
- Leon Marchand: 1:46.44 (2023)
France's relay potential is undeniable. While they secured only one relay medal at the Paris Olympics (men's 400m medley), their 800m freestyle relay team finished a respectable 5th. With Grousset's newfound 200m prowess, Roman Fuchs' stellar year, and Marchand's blistering 1:44 split, France is just one piece away from challenging for medals in the highly competitive 800m freestyle relay in LA. Great Britain, the U.S., Australia, China, South Korea, and Italy are all vying for dominance, but France is rapidly emerging as a serious contender.
The meet wasn't just about Grousset. Yohann Ndoye Brouard dominated the backstroke events, winning both the 50m (24.91) and 100m (53.66). Michel Arkhangelskiy, a Russian-born, American-trained, French-raised talent, took a break from the NCAA season to claim victories in the 50m butterfly (23.17) and 100m butterfly (51.60), also setting a personal best in the 100m freestyle (49.25).
But the real surprise came from the women's side. 16-year-old Jeanne Lechevalier, trained by Amiens Metropole Natation, stole the show with lifetime bests in both the 50m backstroke (28.05) and 100m backstroke (1:00.30). This follows her monster performance at the French Winter Junior Short Course Championships, where she shattered age records in all three backstroke events. She further solidified her dominance by breaking the French Age Record in the 100m backstroke (long course), surpassing her own previous record of 1:00.43. The previous record holder, Mary-Ambre Moluh, set the mark at 1:00.93 in 2021. Lechevalier now holds the second-fastest time in the age group for the 50m backstroke, just behind Moluh.
Other notable performances included Egyptian national Youssef Ramadan, who secured top-three finishes in the 100m freestyle (48.79), 50m butterfly (24.00), and 100m butterfly (52.43). Currently training in Marseille after his time at Virginia Tech, Ramadan is making strides in transitioning his short course success to the long course pool. Norwegian teenager Sandra Balto also impressed, setting personal bests in the 50m freestyle (25.54) and 100m freestyle (56.71), while winning both the 50m butterfly (26.81) and 100m butterfly (1:00.54).
This meet showcased the depth of talent emerging in swimming, from established stars like Grousset to rising young athletes like Lechevalier. But the big question remains: Can France translate these individual successes into relay gold on the Olympic stage? What do you think? Is France poised to dominate the freestyle relays in the coming years? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
