Open water swimming: a hat trick and a revenge for Caroline Jouisse from Var

Three out of three. Last weekend, Caroline Jouisse of Raphaël became a three-time French open water swimming champion in Martigues (Bouches-du-Rhône). The member of Nogent natation 94 won the three races she competed in: the 10km (her specialty), but also the 5km and the 3km knockout. This is the first time a title has been awarded in this format.

"I was aiming to win the 10km but I surprised myself with the knockout, recalling the eighth of the last Olympic Games in Paris. I took things in hand inside the buoys and stayed in front until the end. No one was expecting me. That gave me extra motivation to go for the hat-trick."

Clear non-selection

A performance also achieved by Marc-Antoine Olivier in the men's category.

This hat trick thus secures Caroline Jouisse a place in all three formats at the World Championships in Singapore in mid-July. A real revenge for the one who was not selected last month for the European Championships: "It's a strong signal. I'm showing them (the Federation officials, Editor's note) that they made a mistake leaving me at home."

Yesterday morning, the 31-year-old swimmer flew to Portugal, where she will compete this weekend in Setubal, in a World Cup round. "It's my favorite. Every time, I perform well," recalls the 2023 winner . "The tide can change the currents. Generally, I like to see the bottom, when there are turtles, for example. But there, you can't see anything. This race has something special." A rehearsal a month before the big event.

After this Portuguese break, the adopted Varoise should settle permanently in Hyères, with Frédéric Barale. A relief because, for several months, the swimmer no longer had a place to train.