Nation. Caen full of ambition at the French youth and junior championships
Through Aline Chatel
Published on
The Entente Nautique Caennaise has many reasons to be ambitious! The stated objective of sending eight swimmers to the French Elite Championships in 2024, when there have been none in recent years, makes a little more sense in competition after competition. Last month, the Caen swimming club won the regional group of men’s interclubs, ahead of Rouen and Le Havre, which had not happened for nearly a decade. The girls, very close, finished second.
The interclubs launched an ultra positive “mood”. We are riding this wave.
Caen knocks on the doors of the Nationale 1A and qualifies its swimmers for the biggest French deadlines. Last weekend, Maxime Luquet participated in the French Elite Championships. The young defector from La Garenne, 17, reached a B final. This weekend, 25 Caennais will be on the starting blocks at the national meeting in Tours, the French junior championships and the French youth championships.
Seven juniors in France
The juniors, hoped for as “the elites in two to three years”, will be seven at Massy. They intend to come back with a few charms around their neck. Officially, the goal is to achieve the A. Caen finals, however, dreams of more greedy. Noan Ekedy in breaststroke and Oriane Coeffard in butterfly can hope for medals. Corentin Mouton, Maxime Luquet and Louise Harivel will try to join in the fight, like Lou Béranguer and the “UFO” Ludovic Banc. Qualified in eight events, very good in medley, he did not come from the club’s competition pole.
We are starting to have a very interesting base of juniors with lots of different profiles.
Medals for Célian Henaut?
At the same time, three other athletes will be in Rennes at the French youth championships – the lower age category – with, again, a lot of hope. The backstroke Célian Hénaut, the latest nugget of the club, is already eagerly awaited. Charly Cherrier and Louis Massé will also defend their chances. For the youngest, the Covid has left its mark.
They are stressed, they are lost because that makes two and they are deprived of competition.
No precipitation
For its adolescents, EN Caen has no expectations of immediate results. “We prefer to let young people mature in order to have strong juniors,” explains Nicolas Couderc. A career is built from the second grade for boys. You have to take the time to step up. “Having good juniors is not the end, however. Caen, with 1,400 licensees, wants to find a place among the big guys. “Are we going to be able to make good juniors into good seniors?” If we do the job correctly, there is no reason. “
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