Jump to content

Yannick Agnel

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Yannick Agnel
Yannick Agnel in June 2012
Personal information
NicknameThe Squale
Nationality France
Born (1992-06-09) 9 June 1992 (age 32)
Nîmes, France
Height202 cm (6 ft 8 in)
Weight90 kg (198 lb)[1]
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesFreestyle
ClubL'Olympic Nice Natation
North Baltimore Aquatics
Mulhouse Olympic Natation
CoachFabrice Pellerin
Bob Bowman (2013–2014)
Lionel Horter (2014–)
Medal record
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Olympic Games 2 1 0
World Championships (LC) 2 1 0
World Championships (SC) 1 0 1
European Championships (LC) 1 1 2
European Championships (SC) 2 0 1
European Junior Championships (LC) 8 1 0
Total 16 4 4
Representing  France
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2012 London 200 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2012 London 4×100 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2012 London 4×200 m freestyle
World Championships (LC)
Gold medal – first place 2013 Barcelona 200 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2013 Barcelona 4×100 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2011 Shanghai 4×200 m freestyle
World Championships (SC)
Gold medal – first place 2010 Dubai 4×100 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2010 Dubai 4×200 m freestyle
European Championships (LC)
Gold medal – first place 2010 Budapest 400 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2010 Budapest 4×100 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2010 Budapest 4×200 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2014 Berlin 200 m freestyle
European Championships (SC)
Gold medal – first place 2012 Chartres 200 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2012 Chartres 400 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2012 Chartres 100 m freestyle
European Junior Championships (LC)
Gold medal – first place 2009 Prague 200 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2009 Prague 400 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2009 Prague 4×200 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2010 Helsinki 100 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2010 Helsinki 200 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2010 Helsinki 400 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2010 Helsinki 4×100 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2010 Helsinki 4×200 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2010 Helsinki 4×100 m medley

Yannick Agnel (born 9 June 1992) is a French former competitive swimmer who specialized in freestyle events, and is a three-time Olympic medalist. In his Olympic debut at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, he won gold in the 200-meter freestyle, gold in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay, and silver in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay. He is the current world record holder in the 400-meter freestyle (short course), the European record holder in the 800-meter freestyle (short course), and the national record holder in the 200- and 400-meter freestyle (long course).

Agnel's success earned him Swimming World's European Swimmer of the Year award in 2012.

Early life

[edit]

Agnel was born in Nîmes in 1992, the son of a nurse and a director of human resources. He was named after French tennis player Yannick Noah. Agnel began swimming at the age of eight after a neighbor spotted his talent and urged his parents to enroll him in a swimming club. He later integrated Skema Business School to study business. He is now in the prestigious French Grande École Paris-Dauphine IX.

Swimming career

[edit]

Early career

[edit]

At the 2009 European Junior Swimming Championships, Agnel won the 200- and 400-meter freestyle in European junior record times. He was also a member of the 4×200-meter freestyle relay that won gold ahead of Russia and Italy.

In April 2010, Agnel set the French record in the 200-meter freestyle with a time of 1:46.35 to beat Amaury Leveaux's record of 1:46.54.[2] In June 2010, he improved his record in the 200-meter freestyle with a time of 1:46.30.

At the 2010 European Junior Swimming Championships, Agnel set the French record in the 400-meter freestyle with a time of 3:46.26 to beat Nicolas Rostoucher's record of 3:46.28 en route to winning gold.[3]

2010 European Championships

[edit]

At the 2010 European Aquatics Championships, Agnel won gold in the 400-meter freestyle setting a new French and championships record.[4] Agnel then combined with Fabien Gilot, William Meynard, and Alain Bernard in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay to finish second behind Russia. As the second leg, Agnel had a 48.23 split.[5] As the leadoff leg in the 4×200 m freestyle relay, Agnel broke his own French record in the 200-meter freestyle with a time of 1:45.83. Agnel, with Clement Lefert, Antton Haramboure, and Jérémy Stravius finished in third place in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay behind Russia and Germany.[6]

2011 World Championships

[edit]

At the 2011 World Aquatics Championships in Shanghai, Agnel competed in three events. In his first event, the 400-meter freestyle, Agnel finished in 6th place with a time of 3:45.24. In his second event, the 200-meter freestyle, Agnel finished in fifth place with a time of 1:44.99, a new French record. Agnel won his only medal of the competition, a silver, in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay. Teaming with Grégory Mallet, Jérémy Stravius, and Fabien Gilot, their team had a final time of 7:04.81, a new French record. The United States finished 1st with a time of 7:02.67.

2012

[edit]

2012 Summer Olympics

[edit]
Medal record
2012 London – Men's swimming
Representing France
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 200 m freestyle 1:43.14 (NR)
Gold medal – first place 4×100 m freestyle 3:09.93
Silver medal – second place 4×200 m freestyle 7:02.77

At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Agnel won a total of three medals: two golds and one silver. In his first event, Agnel anchored a come-from-behind effort in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay to win gold with Amaury Leveaux, Fabien Gilot, and Clément Lefert. Diving in with a 0.55 s deficit, Agnel was able to cut that down to a 0.30 s deficit at the 350-meter mark. In the last 50-meters, Agnel pulled ahead of American Ryan Lochte and France won with a time of 3:09:93 to the United States' time of 3:10:38. Agnel swam the fastest split time of the entire field with a time of 46.74, the only individual to break 47 seconds. The next day, Agnel won his second gold medal in the 200-meter freestyle with a time of 1:43.14, the fastest in French swimming history and 1.79 seconds ahead of silver medal winners Sun Yang and Park Tae-hwan. In the final, Agnel led from start-to-finish, recording a time of 50.64 in the first 100-meters and 52.50 in the last 100-meters. His time of 25.98 for the last 50-meters was by far the fastest in the field.[7] Agnel won his final medal, a silver, in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay behind the United States with Amaury Leveaux, Grégory Mallet, and Clément Lefert. He had the fastest split time of the field in the final with a time of 1:43.24 as the anchor leg. In his final event, the 100-meter freestyle, Agnel finished fourth in a personal best time of 47.84, 0.04 s of a second outside the medals. The European Swimming Federation named Agnel male European swimmer of the year 2012.[8]

Post-Olympics

[edit]

On 15 November 2012, Agnel broke his first world record in the 400-meter freestyle with a time of 3:32.25 during the first day of the French short course nationals in Angers. In doing so, he bettered the previous record held by German swimmer Paul Biedermann (3.32.77) established in 2009 with a full bodysuit. A day later, he set the European record in the 800-meter freestyle and on 18 November, Agnel just missed Biedermann's world record in the 200-meter freestyle (short course).

At the 2012 European Short Course Swimming Championships in Chartres held a week after the French nationals, Agnel won a total of three medals: two gold and one bronze.

At year's end, Agnel was named the European Swimmer of the Year by Swimming World Magazine. In 2013, Agnel was made a Knight (Chevalier) of the Légion d'honneur.[9]

2013 World Championships

[edit]

At the 2013 FINA World Championships in Barcelona, Agnel competed only in three events. On the first day of the tournament, Agnel helped his French team capture the nation's first ever world title over the Americans and the Russians in the 4 × 100 m freestyle relay. Teaming with Florent Manaudou, Fabien Gilot, and Jérémy Stravius in the final, Agnel recorded a lead-off split of 48.76 to deliver the French foursome a sterling time in 3:11.18.[10] Two days later, Agnel added his second gold medal in the 200 m freestyle with a time of 1:44.20, finishing ahead of silver medalist and his training partner Conor Dwyer by 1.07 seconds.[11][12] In his final event, 4 × 200 m freestyle relay, Agnel, along with Stravius, Grégory Mallet, and Lorys Bourelly, missed the podium by 17-hundredths of a second behind the Chinese team with a fourth-place effort in 7:04.91.[13]

2014

[edit]

After swimming in Nice, Agnel moved to the US to swim for the North Baltimore Aquatic Club, under coach Bob Bowman. The move proved to be un-successful as at the 2014 European Championship, Agnel was out of form and could only secure a bronze medal in the 200m freestyle. After the event, he decided to come back to France and now trains in Mulhouse.

2015

[edit]

After securing a spot in the French national team, Agnel decided not to compete at the world championship in Kazan due to illness.

2016

[edit]

Agnel finished in third position in the 200m freestyle event at the French national championships held on 30 March in Montpellier. Jérémy Stravius won the race while Jordan Pothain was second. In a controversial finish, it appeared that Agnel had finished second but failed to make clean contact with the timing pad at the end of the race. Only the top two finishers would qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympics. However, Agnel's path to defending his Olympic 200m freestyle title has been cleared by Pothain's decision to swim the 400m freestyle and not the 200m freestyle.[14] At the Rio Olympics, Agnel failed to go past the heats of the 200m freestyle. He announced his retirement from competitive swimming soon after.

Personal bests

[edit]
As of 23 November 2012
Long course
Event Time Meet Date City Note(s)
100 m freestyle 47.84 2012 Summer Olympics 1 August 2012 London, UK
200 m freestyle 1:43.14 2012 Summer Olympics 30 July 2012 London, UK NR
400 m freestyle 3:43.85 2011 French Nationals 23 March 2011 Schiltigheim, FRA NR
Short course
Event Time Meet Date City Note(s)
100 m freestyle 46.80 European Championships 24 November 2012 Chartres, FRA
200 m freestyle 1:39.70 2012 French Nationals 18 November 2012 Angers, FRA NR
400 m freestyle 3:32.25 2012 French Nationals 15 November 2012 Angers, FRA WR
800 m freestyle 7.29.17 2012 French Nationals 16 November 2012 Angers, FRA ER

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Yannick Agnel". L'Équipe. Archived from the original on 17 August 2010. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  2. ^ "Agnel lowers national record in France". Swimming World Magazine. 17 April 2010. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
  3. ^ "European Junior Championships: Yannick Agnel Posts Speedy 400 Free". Swimming World Magazine. 14 July 2010. Retrieved 14 July 2010.
  4. ^ "30th LEN European Swimming Championships – Men's 400 m freestyle results" (PDF). Omega Timing. 9 August 2010. Retrieved 9 August 2010.
  5. ^ "30th LEN European Swimming Championships – Men's 4×100 m freestyle results" (PDF). Omega Timing. 9 August 2010. Retrieved 9 August 2010.
  6. ^ "30th LEN European Swimming Championships – Men's 4×200 m freestyle results" (PDF). Omega Timing. 14 August 2010. Retrieved 14 August 2010.
  7. ^ "Olympic swimming: Agnel wins again as Ryan Lochte misses out". BBC Sport. 19 July 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
  8. ^ 2012 LEN Awards: European Aquatic Athletes of the Year
  9. ^ Légion d'Honneur: Aschieri, Muffat et Agnel dans la promo du 1er janvier – nicematin.com
  10. ^ "Don't Ever Sleep on French Anchors; Jeremy Stravius Blazes to 400 Free Relay Win". Swimming World Magazine. 28 July 2013. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
  11. ^ "Agnel's delight at 200m freestyle gold". Sky News Australia. 30 July 2013. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
  12. ^ "Olympic Champ Yannick Agnel Crushes 200 Free Field for Victory". Swimming World Magazine. 30 July 2013. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
  13. ^ "Unreal Triple From Ryan Lochte as Team USA Dominates 800 Free Relay". Swimming World Magazine. 2 August 2013. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
  14. ^ "Swimming: Yannick Agnel given spot to defend Olympic crown despite qualifying controversy". The Straits Times/AFP. 7 April 2016.
[edit]
Records
Preceded by Men's 400 metre freestyle
world record holder (short course)

15 November 2012 – present
Succeeded by

Incumbent
Awards
Preceded by European Swimmer of the Year
2012
Succeeded by