Olympic Champion Yannick Agnel Arrested on Rape Charges in France

Photo Courtesy: David Farr

Olympic champion Yannick Agnel was placed in police custody on Thursday as part of a rape investigation, French media outlets are reporting. According to L’Equipe Sports, Angel was arrested for the alleged rape of a minor.

The Mulhouse prosecutor’s office said “the arrest at the end of the morning in Paris (came) from an examining magistrate from Mulhouse, and his placement in police custody (is) for acts of rape and sexual assault on minors of 15 years,” according to multiple news outlets.

According to the news outlets, the investigation stems from a complaint from a swimmer who trained with Agnel in Mulhouse between 2014 and 2016. L’Équipe said several swimmers, current and former, have been questioned as part of the investigation.

Yannick Agnel won Olympic gold in the 200 freestyle and on the 400 freestyle relay in London in 2012.

Agnel raced to a winning time of 1:43.14, posting a textile best in the process. The swim smashed the then-Olympic textile best of 1:45.35, clocked by Pieter van den Hoogenband at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, and also managed to best Michael Phelps’ overall textile best of 1:43.86 from the 2007 World Championships in Melbourne.

He was the world champion in the 200 free in 2013. He retired from competitive swimming after the 2016 Games.

Yannick Agnel has been outspoken about the way the 200 free is raced today, saying Danas Rapsys is the only swimmer who swims the 200 freestyle the right way.

“There is only one way to dominate and win a 200 freestyle,” Agnel said, referencing the need to take an attacking style. “When I’m watching swimming now, the only guy that knows how to swim a 200 freestyle is Danas Rapsys. And you know what, if it wasn’t for him to have shaken the blocks in Gwangju, he would have won.”

He was a consultant for French TV during the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021.

Name*

Email*

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use

Name*

Email*

2 Comments

Oldest

Newest Most Voted

Inline Feedbacks

View all comments

Ana

2 years ago

This man has been arrested for raping a minor. I get that this magazine wants to mention that he’s a swimmer and Olympic medalist because otherwise it just wouldn’t be reported at all, but talking about his times and his opinion on how to swim a 200 free correctly is completely irrelevant. He’s an accused rapist and has been arrested. That’s the only thing relevant here.

-1

Anonymous

2 years ago

Reply to Ana

.. and innocent at this stage