The French Swimming Federation and the French National Olympic Sports Committee (CNOSF) have announced on May 28 the eight athletes who will represent France in the artistic swimming events this summer in Paris. Olympians Charlotte and Laura Tremble, who placed eighth in duet in Tokyo, will make their second Olympic appearance amongst this strong and experienced squad.
The eight athletes selected to represent France this summer are as follows:
- Laelys Alavez (17)
- Anastasia Bayandina (27)
- Ambre Esnault (22)
- Laura Gonzalez (23)
- Romane Lunel (19)
- Eve Planeix (23)
- Charlotte Tremble (24)
- Laura Tremble (24)
The ninth athlete who will serve as reserve has not been announced at this time.
Twins Charlotte and Laura Tremble will make their second Olympic appearance, this time only in the team events, and are amongst the most experienced on this French squad. On the senior national team since 2017, they have competed at most World and European Championships ever since, with only Laura missing the 2022 season after undergoing two knee surgeries.
Also on the senior national team since 2017, Eve Planeix will compete in Paris in both team and duet events. The 23-year-old, who also performed in solo until 2022, is the team’s main flier and has been a staple of this French team over the years.
She will pair up in the duet events with Anastasia Bayandina, with whom she competed with throughout the 2023 season. The 27-year-old has been representing France since 2022, and previously earned two World and European titles with the Russian Federation. Bayandina and Planeix last competed in duet at the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka, where they placed 12th in the free event.
Ambre Esnault, one of the team captains of this French Olympic squad along with Charlotte Tremble, joined the senior team ahead of the 2019 season. Reliable and consistant, she has been a mainstay in all team routines at every major competition ever since.
Bayandina, Esnault, Lunel, Planeix, and both Tremble twins are all reigning European Champions in the acrobatic team. All but Bayandina and Laura Tremble were also part of the historical medal haul at the 2022 European Championships, where the French squad came away with three bronze medals.
Laura Gonzalez was also part of that European team, but unfortunately missed the 2023 season due to injuries. Like most of her Olympic teammates, she has been competing on the senior stage for a few years now, making her debut at the 2018 European Championships.
The youngest of this Olympic team are 19-year-old Romane Lunel and 17-year-old Laelys Alavez. The two have been standouts since their arrival on the senior squad, as well as through the lower age groups over the last few years. Notably, they still competed in both junior and senior competitions last season.
A world junior bronze medalist and three-time European junior medalist, Romane Lunel was a staple on the junior squad from 2021 to 2023. She joined the senior team in 2022 and quickly positioned herself as a reliable athlete in all team routines. She has already gained tremendous experience over the last few years, competing in two World Championships and European Championships.
After a breakthrough season in 2022 where she became a two-time European Youth Champion and vice-World Youth Champion, Laelys Alavez quickly moved up through the ranks. Clearly one of France’s up-and-coming talents, she joined the senior national team full-time that fall at age 15. Like Lunel, Alavez has competed in two World Championships, and notably represented her country in solo in 2023.
The French team is expected to appear next at the European Championships in Belgrade.
ARTICLE BY CHRISTINA MARMET
Cover photo: Deepbluemedia
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