Florent Manaudou (French pronunciation: [flɔʁɑ̃ manodu]; born 12 November 1990) is a French competitive swimmer, an Olympic champion of the 50-meter freestyle at the 2012 London Olympics, and the younger brother of Laure Manaudou, a 2004 Olympic gold medalist in swimming. He competes for the Energy Standard Swim Club in the International Swimming League.
Personal life
editManaudou is the son of a French father and a Dutch mother. He first began swimming under the direction of his older brother, Nicolas, and later joined the swimming club of Marseilles, France. In 2007, he was the junior champion of France in the 50-meter freestyle event. In 2009, he joined the French Army and is currently in an artillery regiment. In 2022, Manaudou transitioned to competing for CN Antibes after formerly swimming only for the CN Marseille (CNM) swim club.[2] As of 2023, he continues to compete for CN Marseille in contests such as the Belgian Open Swimming Championships.[1]
He and his sister, Laure, are the first siblings to both win Olympic gold medals in swimming.
For his performance in 2012, Manaudou was awarded the Knight of the French National Order of the Légion d'Honneur in recognition of his "eminent merits" in swimming.[3]
In September 2021, Manaudou announced his engagement to his then-girlfriend, Danish swimmer and Olympic gold medalist Pernille Blume.[4][5] The following month, Manaudou was present in the audience to support Blume as she competed in the dancing competition Vild med dans.[6] The couple called off their engagement at the end of 2023.
Swimming career
edit2011 World Championships
editIn his only individual event at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships in Shanghai, the 50-meter butterfly, Manaudou placed fifth in the final with a time of 23.49.[7] It was slightly slower than the times he posted in the heats (23.31) and semifinals (23.32).[8][9] Manaudou also competed in the heats of the 4×100-meter medley relay and as the butterfly leg, had a split of 54.02. The French team did not advance to the final with an overall time of 3:36.21.[10]
2012 Summer Olympics
edit| 2012 Summer Olympics | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
50 m freestyle | 21.34 |
At the French Olympic Trials, Manaudou qualified for the 2012 London Olympics in London by finishing second behind Amaury Leveaux in the 50-meter freestyle with a time of 21.95. Despite entering the Olympics with only the 10th fastest time in the men's 50-meter freestyle in the world that year, Manaudou won the gold medal in that event (which was the only event he entered). He thus became the first French gold-medalist of the men's 50-meter freestyle and the sixth French Olympic champion in an individual event.[11] Swimming in lane 7 in the final, Manaudou had a time of 21.34 seconds, finishing ahead of second-place finisher Cullen Jones and third-place finisher César Cielo, the defending champion and world record holder, to win the gold medal.[12] Manaudou's time was slightly slower than the Olympic record of 21.30 set by Cielo in 2008, but was an unofficial fastest time swam in textile (that is, not wearing a high-tech suit). Going into the final, Manaudou recorded a time of 22.09 in the heats and 21.80 in the semifinals.[13][14]
2012 Short Course Competitions
edit| 2012 World Short Course Championships | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
50 m freestyle | 20.88 |
 |
50 m breaststroke | 26.33 |
Following the Olympics, Manaudou competed at the 2012 European Short Course Championships and the 2012 World Short Course Championships held at the end of 2012. At the European Championships in Chartres, Manaudou won five gold medals including an individual title in the 50-meter freestyle with a time of 20.70.[15] At the World Short Course Championships in Istanbul, Manaudou won one silver and bronze medal. In his specialty event, the 50-meter freestyle, Manaudou placed second behind Russian swimmer Vladimir Morozov (who he beat in Chartres) by three tenths of a second (0.33) with a time of 20.88.[16]
2013 World Championships
editAt the 2013 World Aquatics Championships in Barcelona, Manaudou won gold in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay with Yannick Agnel, Fabien Gilot, and Jérémy Stravius. Swimming the second leg, Manaudou recorded a time of 47.93 while the French team had an aggregated time of 3:11.18. In the 50-meter freestyle, Manaudou lead the heats and semifinals with times of 21.72 and 21.37. In the final however, he finished 5th with a time of 21.64. Manaudou also competed in the 50-meter butterfly and finished 8th with a time of 23.35.
2014
edit| 2014 World Short Course Championships | ||
|---|---|---|
| |
50 m freestyle | 20.26 (WR) |
| |
50 m backstroke | 22.22 (WR) |
| |
4x100 m freestyle | 3:03.78 (ER,CR) |
| |
100 m freestyle | 45.81 |
| |
4x50 m medley | 1:31.25 (ER) |
| |
4x100 m medley | 3:22.26 |
Manaudou won six medals at the 2014 World Short Course Championships (including three golds) and four gold medals at the 2014 European Aquatics Championships in Berlin. At the World Short Course Championships, Manaudou broke the first world records of his career in the 50-meter backstroke and freestyle.
2015
editManaudou won three gold medals at the 2015 World Aquatics Championships in Kazan, including the 50 m freestyle where he swam the fastest time ever in textile in 21.19.
2016 Summer Olympics
edit| 2016 Summer Olympics | ||
|---|---|---|
| |
50 m freestyle | 21.41 |
| |
4x100 m freestyle | 3:10.53 |
Manaudou failed in his bid to qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games 100m freestyle when he only finished third at the French national championships held on 1 April in Montpellier. He had been hoping to pull off a 50m-100m freestyle double at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro but his time of 48.10sec was bettered by Jérémy Stravius (47.97) and Clement Mignon (48.01). Only the top two finishers would qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games. Manaudou, the reigning Olympic/World/European champion in the 50m freestyle, had been the second fastest over the 100m freestyle this season.[17]
However, he qualified to represent France in the 50 m freestyle, where he won silver, and was part of the French 4 × 100 m freestyle team that also won silver.[18]
2019 International Swimming League
editManaudou swam with swim club Energy Standard as part of the inaugural season of the International Swimming League, co-captaining the team alongside Sarah Sjöström. He won races in freestyle, butterfly, and freestyle skins.
2020 Summer Olympics
edit| 2020 Summer Olympics | ||
|---|---|---|
| |
50 m freestyle | 21.55 |
Manaudou qualified for the 50 metre freestyle at the 2020 Summer Olympics by winning the 50 metre freestyle at the FFN Golden Tour event 'Camille Muffat' in Marseille, France with a season-best time of 21.72 seconds. At the Olympic Games themselves, in Tokyo, Japan in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he qualified second fastest from the prelims heats to the semifinals of the 50 metre freestyle with a time of 21.65 seconds. In the semifinals the next day, he lowered his time to 21.53 seconds, advancing to the final ranked second overall. In the final Manaudou won the silver medal ahead of bronze medalist Bruno Fratus of Brazil and behind gold medalist Caeleb Dressel of the United States with a time of 21.55 seconds, which marked the third-consecutive Olympic medal Manaudou had won in the 50 metre freestyle at the Olympic Games, after winning the gold medal in 2012 and the silver medal in 2016, then behind gold medalist Anthony Ervin of the United States. He also competed in the 4×100 metre freestyle relay where his relay team placed sixth in the final.
2023
editAt the 2023 Belgian Open Swimming Championships, held in April in Antwerp, Belgium, Manaudou won the gold medal in the 50 metre freestyle on day two with a 2023 World Aquatics Championships qualifying time of 21.98 seconds.[19] The third and final day, he won a second gold medal, this time in the 50 metre butterfly with a World Championships qualifying time of 23.42 seconds.[20] Two months later, he placed second in the 50 metre butterfly on the first day of the 2023 French Elite Swimming Championships in Rennes, finishing 0.38 seconds behind first-place finisher Maxime Grousset with a time of 23.44 seconds.[21][22][23] Two days later, he achieved a time of 48.12 seconds in the preliminaries of the 100 metre freestyle to rank first before withdrawing from competing in the final.[24] On day five, he won the gold medal and national title in the 50 metre freestyle with a 2023 World Aquatics Championships qualifying time of 21.62 seconds.[25]
2024, Flag bearer at Paris 2024
editManaudou was the flag bearer of his country along with the discus thrower Melina Robert at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.[26]
Personal best times
edit- As of 8 August 2015
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Awards
editTelevision
editFlorent Manaudou has also appeared on TV series such as Vestiaires (France 2) and Munch (TF1).[29]
In 2018, he appears on TV Series Section de recherches (TF1, season 12).[29]
See also
edit- List of world records in swimming
- List of European records in swimming
- List of French records in swimming
- World record progression 50 metres backstroke
- World record progression 50 metres freestyle
- Chronological summary of the 2012 Summer Olympics
- Chronological summary of the 2016 Summer Olympics
- Chronological summary of the 2020 Summer Olympics
References
edit- ^ a b "Open Belgian Swimming Championships 2023: Results Book". Royal Belgian Swimming Federation. 24 April 2023. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
- ^ a b Keith, Braden (13 February 2022). "Florent Manaudou, Pernille Blume Swim First Long Course Races Since Olympics". SwimSwam. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
- ^ French Official Journal, from Legifrance.gouv.fr; retrieved 1 January 2013.
- ^ D'Addona, Dan (1 September 2021). "Olympic Gold Medalists Pernille Blume, Florent Manaudou Announce Engagement". Swimming World. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
- ^ Race, Retta (1 September 2021). "Sprint Champions Manaudou & Blume Announce Engagement". SwimSwam. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
- ^ Johnson, Annika (8 October 2021). "Pernille Blume Shines On Dance Show With Manaudou In The Audience". SwimSwam. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
- ^ 2011 World Aquatics Championships: Men's 50 m butterfly results (final), from OmegaTiming.com; retrieved 28 August 2012.
- ^ 2011 World Aquatics Championships: Men's 50 m butterfly results (heats), from OmegaTiming.com; retrieved 28 August 2012.
- ^ 2011 World Aquatics Championships: Men's 50 m butterfly results (semifinals), from OmegaTiming.com; retrieved 28 August 2012.
- ^ 2011 World Aquatics Championships: Men's 4×100 m medley relay results (heats), from OmegaTiming.com; retrieved 28 August 2012.
- ^ "Swimming at the 2012 London Summer Games: Men's 50 metres Freestyle Final". Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 13 November 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
- ^ "French swimmer Manaudou follows sister's lead by taking gold". France 24. 4 August 2012. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
- ^ "Swimming at the 2012 London Summer Games: Men's 50 metres Freestyle Round One". Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 15 October 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
- ^ "Swimming at the 2012 London Summer Games: Men's 50 metres Freestyle Semi-Finals". Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 15 October 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
- ^ "2012 European Short Course Swimming Championships – Men's 50 metre freestyle (final)". Omega Timing. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
- ^ "2012 FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m) – Men's 50 metre freestyle (final)". Omega Timing. Archived from the original on 18 December 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
- ^ "Manaudou misses out on Rio freestyle double". The Straits Times/AFP. 3 April 2016.
- ^ "Florent Manaudou Bio, Stats, and Results | Olympics at Sports-Reference.com". Archived from the original on 23 October 2018. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
- ^ "Open Belgian Swimming Championships 2023: Event 21 Men, 50m Freestyle Open Results Finals". toptime.be. 22 April 2023. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
- ^ "Open Belgian Swimming Championships 2023: Event 37 Men, 50m Butterfly Open Results Finals". toptime.be. 23 April 2023. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
- ^ "Championnats de France ELITE – 50 m – 2023: 50 Papillon Messieurs" (in French). liveffn.com. 11 June 2023. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
- ^ Warnier, Mathieu (11 June 2023). "Ch. de France: Marchand a déjà fait vibrer Rennes" (in French). sports.fr. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
- ^ "50m papillon (H) : Florent Manaudou battu par Maxime Grousset" (in French). France Télévisions. 11 June 2023. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
- ^ "Championnats de France ELITE – 50 m – 2023: 100 Nage Libre Messieurs" (in French). liveffn.com. 13 June 2023. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
- ^ "Championnats de France ELITE – 50 m – 2023: 50 Nage Libre Messieurs" (in French). liveffn.com. 15 June 2023. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
- ^ "Mélina Robert-Michon and Florent Manaudou: Flag-bearers for the French delegation". France24.com. 12 July 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
- ^ Gibbs, Robert (3 February 2021). "SwimSwam's Top 100 For 2021: Men's #30 — #21". SwimSwam. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
- ^ Sutherland, James (6 January 2022). "SwimSwam's Top 100 For 2022: Men's #100–76". SwimSwam. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
- ^ a b "Florent Manaudou tourne pour TF1 et sa nouvelle coupe lui donne 10 ans de moins" (in French). Le Huffington Post. 19 September 2017.
External links
edit- Florent Manaudou at World Aquatics
- Florent Manaudou at the International Swimming League
- Florent Manaudou at Olympics.com
- Florent Manaudou at Olympedia (archive)
- Florent Manaudou at Équipe de France (in French)
- Florent Manaudou at Équipe de France Olympique (archived) (in French)
