Beryl Gastaldello Sets French Record at Elite Short Course Championships
Beryl Gastaldello Sets French 100m Backstroke Record in Angers
At the 2026 French Elite Short Course Championships in Angers, 31-year-old Olympian Beryl Gastaldello swam a lifetime best of 55.66 in the women’s 100m backstroke final, breaking her own national record and capturing the gold medal.
The Tech TL;DR:
- Beryl Gastaldello clocked 55.66 in the 100m backstroke, dipping under the 56-second barrier for the first time by a French woman.
- The performance cleared the World Aquatics ‘A’ standard of 57.52 for the upcoming Short Course World Championships.
- Gastaldello returned later in the evening to win the 50m freestyle in 23.71, securing another qualifying spot.
Racing on the penultimate night of action at the competition, Gastaldello opened her 100m backstroke swim in 26.94 and closed in 28.72. Her time sliced 0.41 seconds off the previous French standard of 56.07 that she established at the 2024 edition of the championships. The swim makes her the first French woman in history to break the 56-second barrier in the event.
Gastaldello and Mahieu Qualify for World Championships
Gastaldello’s time easily cleared the World Aquatics ‘A’ standard of 57.52 required for qualification to the Short Course World Championships. Pauline Mahieu joined her in qualification by finishing as the runner-up with a time of 56.44, while Jeanne Lechevalier followed closely behind in 56.71.
Following the performance, Gastaldello ranks sixth in the world in the 100m backstroke. Her international resume includes six Short Course World Championships medals, though she is still seeking her first podium finish in the 100m backstroke at an elite international event.
Golden Double in the 50m Freestyle
The 100m backstroke victory did not mark Gastaldello’s only podium finish of the evening. She also contested the 50m freestyle, winning gold in 23.71. Analia Pigree took silver with a personal best of 23.99, and Marie Wattel rounded out the top three in 24.18. All three athletes dipped under the 24.33 ‘A’ qualification standard.
31-Yr-Old Olympian Beryl Gastaldello Clocks 100 Back French National Record https://t.co/RkxcNKxlOl
Gastaldello told the French Federation that she had considered scratching the 100m backstroke in the morning heats to conserve energy for the 50m freestyle.
It was a great evening, I’m very happy. It wasn’t easy to do the 50m freestyle after the 100m backstroke. But I have all the titles I wanted and the qualifications that go with it. The preparation wasn’t easy so I’m super proud. We will have to accelerate even more for the world championships, I’m confident for the future,
Gastaldello said.
Men’s Events and Additional World Championship Qualifiers
In the men’s events, Emilien Mattenet won the 400m individual medley in 4:05.67, beating his nearest competitor by over six seconds and eclipsing his previous personal best of 4:08.06 from 2022. The swim ranks him as the second-fastest French performer in the event of all time, behind only Leon Marchand’s record of 3:58.30.
The men’s 200m freestyle featured a tight battle between Roman Fuchs and Maxime Grousset. Fuchs overtook Grousset in the final stretch to win in 1:41.47, securing a middle-distance double after his earlier 400m victory. Grousset took silver in 1:41.70, while 16-year-old Sauveur Cristofini finished third in a French National Age Record of 1:41.88.
Additional winners securing qualification standards included Clement Secchi in the 50m butterfly (22.17), Valentine Leclercq in the 800m freestyle (8:24.87), Carl Aitkaci in the 100m breaststroke (57.28), and Lilou Ressencourt in the 200m butterfly (2:07.89).