From the failed 2024 Olympics to world butterfly king, how Maxime Grousset emerged from his chrysalis
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ANALYSIS - Having entered this stroke almost against his will two years ago, the Frenchman has become the best specialist, with progress that leaves one dreaming of Los Angeles 2028.
What does a swimmer's destiny depend on? Sometimes it's simply a free day at the very end of the French Championships. As was the case for Maxime Grousset in Rennes on June 16, 2023. At the time, and still today, the Nouméa native dreamed of becoming Olympic champion in the 100m freestyle, the Games' benchmark swimming race. A legitimate ambition for someone who had just won his fourth national title over the distance in Brittany. However, to fill his free time, Michel Chrétien, his coach, then suggested he take part in the 100m butterfly. A stroke in which he certainly had some experience in the 50m – with a French championship title in 2022 – but in which he had never really dedicated himself to training…
On D-Day, without any pressure, Grousset hit hard, very hard, setting a French record of 50”61. This earned him a ticket to the world championships in Fukuoka…
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