Would French swimming hold its new prodigy? Sauveur Cristofini, 15, gave full meaning to his first name by beating two records previously held by Léon Marchand during the French Short Course Swimming Championships organized last week in Taverny (Oise).
After having signed the best French under-16 performance in the 200m medley in the series (1′59′’97), surpassing the time signed by Marchand in 2018 (2′00″66), the young swimmer, who will celebrate his 16th birthday on November 29, beat the under-17 record also held by the four-time reigning Olympic champion.
The native of Marseille, licensed in Ajaccio, even broke five French under-17 records, also surpassing the times set by Yannick Agnel in the 200m, 400m freestyle and 800m.
“Léon, at that age, was half as thick”
Cristofini is coached by Philippe Lucas, former coach of Laure Manaudou, who is full of praise for him. “We shouldn’t skip the steps, but if he continues like this, he has no problems, no injuries, motivation, and he remains serious in his work, I think that in a year and a half, he can do very badly,” Lucas said about his protégé in the mixed zone during the French Short Course Championships.
The French coach highlighted the important role played by the young Frenchman’s entourage in supporting his progress. “He is surrounded by a family who puts everything in place for him to succeed. He still has lots of things to improve, fortunately, but above all he is a boy who is hardworking and attentive,” said the 62-year-old coach.
The teenager’s remarkable performances during the Championships also earned him the compliments of several big names in French swimming. “His maturity impressed me (…) Honestly, I think he will be able to join the French team very quickly and win medals,” said Maxime Grousset, world champion in the 50m butterfly and 100m butterfly, interviewed by RMC Sport.
“He has gigantic hands, he must be a size 50 or 52 and he has extraordinary measurements. I remember that Léon, at that age, was half as thick,” added Yohann Ndoye Brouard, bronze medalist in the 100m backstroke and 200m backstroke last summer at the World Championships in Singapore, to RMC.
A promising start which could allow Cristofini to dream of following in the footsteps of the Toulouse native, while the 15-year-old swimmer qualified for the European Short Course Championships from December 2 to 7 in Lublin (Poland).