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Paris 2024 – Swimming: Florent Manaudou qualifies in extremis for the final
After giving himself a scare, the flag bearer of the French delegation reached his fourth Olympic final in a row in the discipline.
It was decided by five hundredths of a second. The reigning Olympic vice-champion, Florent Manaudou, managed to take the last place for the 50-meter freestyle final on Thursday, August 1st. Impressive during the heats, the four-time Olympic medalist had to do just as well in his semi-final. In a very fast race, he finished with the 5th time, in 21″64. His closest pursuer, Canadian Josh Liendo, was eliminated with a time of 21″69.
For his fourth Olympic Games, Florent Manaudou will have the opportunity to consolidate his record as the most decorated swimmer in the 50m freestyle. After his victory in London in 2012, the Frenchman won the silver medal in Rio in 2016 and in Tokyo in 2021. The final will take place on Friday, August 2 at 8:30 p.m., alongside a second Frenchman, Maxime Grousset, who has returned to his best level.