European Aquatics Championships: Maxime Grousset reaches 50m butterfly final, French women impress in 100m freestyle

Maxime Grousset has successfully advanced to the final of the 50m butterfly at the European Aquatics Championships held in Saint-Denis, near Paris. The double world champion demonstrated strong form, clocking 22.49 seconds in both the heats and the semifinals, securing his place among the top contenders. This performance is particularly notable given that Grousset recently fractured the second metatarsal bone in his left foot just two months ago.

Despite his personal success, Grousset faces stiff competition in the final. Russian swimmer Egor Kornev set a blistering pace, breaking the championship record with a time of 22.36 seconds. This sets the stage for a highly anticipated and competitive final on Tuesday.

In other French successes, Béryl Gastaldello and Marie Wattel both qualified for the women's 100m freestyle final. Gastaldello finished third in her semifinal with a time of 53.58 seconds, while Wattel recorded 53.53 seconds, also securing third place in her respective heat. Both swimmers will be aiming for the podium, though they face a formidable challenge from Dutch swimmer Marrit Steenbergen, the recent world record holder in the event.

Pauline Mahieu also earned a spot in the women's 200m backstroke final, achieving the fourth-fastest time with 2:09.20. She won her semifinal with a strong start and controlled finish. However, Nikita Baez did not advance to the 50m butterfly final, finishing with the slowest time in his semifinal. Carl Aitkaci was also eliminated in the 100m breaststroke.