Leon Marchand and Maxime Grousset have been named to a 27-strong France squad for a home European Championships in Paris next month despite the looming spectre of injury.
Marchand scorched to 4:04.56 in the 400IM, the fifth-fastest performance in history, in his opening event at the recent French Championships. However, he felt a sharp pain in the adductor muscle of his right leg during the 200 breast prelims with the four-time Olympic champion withdrawing from the remainder of the competition with a suspected tear.
The French federation has since confirmed Marchand will be free to add further events to his 400IM, so long as he’s already hit the qualifying standards at an approved meet within the past year.
The Bob Bowman-trained swimmer has QTs in the 400 free and the 200 back, fly, breaststroke and individual medley although breaststroke puts major stress on the adductor muscles during the second half of the kick.
Paris 2026 will mark Marchand’s European Championships debut, two years after he became a French sporting legend with his four golds and a bronze at La Defense Arena.
Grousset fractured his left foot last month, sustaining the injury to the base of his second metatarsal when he was doing a training jump. That forced his withdrawal from the French Championships but a medical exemption means he can compete.
Yohann Ndoye Brouard was a standout at the national meet in Saint-Etienne, where he swept the backstroke events, four years after he won the 200 back at the 2022 edition in Rome.
Fellow backstroker Mary-Ambre Moluh broke French records in the 50 (27.20) and 100 (58.25) – the latter elevating her to the top of the European rankings – as well as leading home the 50 free for a trio of titles.
France Squad for the European Championships, Paris, 10-16 August
Men:
- Carl Aitkaci
- Amaury Albar
- Nikita Baez
- Sauveur Cristofini
- Neo Dutriaux
- Roman Fuchs
- Cedric Gabali
- Maxime Grousset
- Antoine Herlem
- Pierre Largeron
- Leon Marchand
- Nathan Muratory
- Yohann Ndoye Brouard
- Mewen Tomac
- Sacha Velly
Women:
- Chloe Braun
- Albane Cachot
- Bertille Cousson
- Beryl Gastaldello
- Jeanne Lechevalier
- Pauline Mahieu
- Mary-Ambre Moluh
- Analia Pigree
- Giulia Rossi-Bene
- Lucile Tessariol
- Marie Wattel