Florent Manaudou bids tearful farewell to swimming at Saint-Denis ceremony

A champion's farewell

Florent Manaudou, the 2012 Olympic champion in the 50m freestyle, officially announced his retirement on Thursday, 13 August, during a brief appearance as a commentator on France Télévisions. Two days later, on Saturday, 15 August, the 35-year-old was honoured with a farewell ceremony at the Olympic Aquatic Centre in Saint-Denis, held before the evening finals at the European Swimming Championships. The ceremony, attended by his family and close friends, featured a video montage of his career highlights and ended with applause from the French crowd.

The swimmer, who collected 36 international medals across short and long course over a 14-year career, was visibly emotional. He told the audience he had been crying with his loved ones for two to three hours before the ceremony began. He thanked his parents for placing him in a sport that brought him incredible life experiences, saying they were "always there, in the shadows," and that his first love was for his family.

I confess to you that it's a lot of emotions for me, I've been crying with my loved ones for two or three hours.

London 2012: the breakthrough

Manaudou's defining moment came on 3 August 2012 at the London Aquatics Centre. Far from the favourite, the 21-year-old qualified for the Olympic final from lane 7 with the sixth-fastest semifinal time of 21.80 seconds. The Brazilian César Cielo, the defending champion and world record holder at 20.91 seconds from 2009, was the clear favourite.

Manaudou delivered a personal best of 21.34 seconds, the fastest time since polyurethane suits were banned, beating American Cullen Jones (21.54) and Cielo (21.59). The victory made him the ninth-fastest performer in the history of the event and elevated him from being known as "the little brother of Laure Manaudou" to Olympic champion in his own right.

If I hadn't believed in it, I wouldn't have finished first today. I think I must have been the most relaxed in the final. I knew that was the key for a 50m.

Words from family and teammates

Manaudou's sister Laure, the 2004 Olympic champion in the 400m freestyle, spoke at the ceremony alongside former French team captain Frédérick Bousquet. Bousquet, who was captain when Manaudou joined the national team in 2011 at age 20, described him as an exceptional athlete and a natural leader who arrived and immediately made his mark, becoming Olympic champion just one year later while remaining respectful and eager to learn from veterans. "What makes us love Florent is his heart," Bousquet said.

Laure Manaudou said that despite his two-metre frame, he remains her little brother. She called his 2012 Olympic title her favourite career memory and praised his approach to competition.

I have never seen an athlete arrive at the Olympics saying that his goal is to have fun, and I think that's the most beautiful message he can pass on in sport.

French swimmer Maxime Grousset also paid tribute, saying he would never forget "this great man of swimming."

A career bookended

Manaudou's last international competition was the Paris 2024 Olympics, where he won a bronze medal. The farewell ceremony took place shortly before the final of Léon Marchand, France's current swimming star, at the same Saint-Denis venue where Manaudou had competed two years earlier. Manaudou told Le Figaro he was "too happy to be able to say goodbye here."