Florine Gaspard entered the closed circle of Belgians who took part in a world championship final. She is the 12th to reach this stage. A performance achieved at the Worlds in Singapore, where she ranked 7th in the 50m freestyle final.
Florine, you have just returned to Belgium. How do you feel?
I don’t really realize yet. I’m really proud of what I did, I know it’s something exceptional.
Was that the goal, the final of the 50m freestyle?
Yes it was the goal. I really improved all year round on the 50 crawl. It really became my race. I also wanted to swim very well on the other distances (100m breaststroke, 100m free). In the end, I really have the contract more than completed. So I’m happy.
You enter a fairly closed circle of twelve Belgian swimmers who participated in global finals …
I didn’t know it. Honestly, I was told after the final that we were only twelve. This is what makes the thing even more incredible, it is that the eleven before were still athletes that I admired. So it’s a little weird to say that I am one of these people. It also revives Belgium a little and Belgian swimming.
Before the final of the 50 m freestyle, you had already experienced two semi-finals. How was the week built?
In fact I qualified for the 50 crawl and the 1200 crawl, but we decided to take the 100 breaststroke on the second day to launch the competition a little and to have a race before my real objectives. I was hoping to swim well on the 100 crawl too. And in fact, I swept a lot on the first day on the 100 breaststroke, with a really unexpected Belgium record, then I go back to the semi-finals. So that was great. And in fact it was super beneficial because afterwards, for the 100 crawl, I was really not at all stressed.
These good results show that you are still increasing, despite the extra sporting aspect with the return to Belgium after Marseille!
Yes, and it was not played in advance. I still took a risk of leaving in the middle of a season, because hey, I was sure that it worked with Franck (Esposito, his coach in Marseille), but on the other hand I could not train with Franck … So it was still a risk of returning to Belgium, making a move, changing teams, changing coach. Everything was really very new for me. And in the end, I think it was still the best choice of my season. And even if it was not easy throughout the season, I think it was super beneficial for me. I think it just shows that it was the right decision for the future and that it will be even better next season.
After these Worlds, what will be the objectives?
This time, it’s special, because usually after the big championships like that, I don’t want to think about swimming and I want to cut. But there, I’m really looking forward to going back to training. And in fact, it just made me want to do even better and dream even bigger. Suddenly, there, we have three weeks of vacation and we start again on August 25. Afterwards, we are going to do all the world cup stages to prepare the European championships in a small basin which will take place in Poland in December. And that will really be the end -of -year goal.
With the ambition to appear even higher in the final ranking?
In Singapore, I was the second European in the final of the 50 Crawl. So honestly, now, I’m starting to think about the medal a little more and tell me that it could be really nice. And given the momentum, I think I’m really good, I’m starting to really know the 50 crawl. So honestly, yes, it would be cool to make a global final and a European podium in the same year!
Antoine Masson
