Yannick Agnel facts for kids
Yannick Agnel in June 2012
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| Nickname(s) | The Squale | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality |  France |
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| Born | 9 June 1992 Nîmes, France |
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| Height | 202 cm (6 ft 8 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 90 kg (198 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Sport | Swimming | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Strokes | Freestyle | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | L'Olympic Nice Natation North Baltimore Aquatics Mulhouse Olympic Natation |
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| Coach | Fabrice Pellerin Bob Bowman (2013–2014) Lionel Horter (2014–) |
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Medal record
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Yannick Agnel (born June 9, 1992) is a French former competitive swimmer. He was known for his freestyle events. Yannick is a three-time Olympic medalist.
He made his Olympic debut at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. There, he won two gold medals and one silver medal. He won gold in the 200-meter freestyle race. He also won gold in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay. He earned a silver medal in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay.
Yannick Agnel holds several swimming records. He holds the world record for the 400-meter freestyle (short course). He also holds the European record for the 800-meter freestyle (short course). He has French national records in the 200- and 400-meter freestyle (long course).
In 2012, Swimming World Magazine named Yannick Agnel the European Swimmer of the Year. This award recognized his great success in swimming.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Yannick Agnel was born in Nîmes, France, in 1992. His mother was a nurse, and his father managed human resources. He was named after the famous French tennis player, Yannick Noah.
Yannick started swimming when he was eight years old. A neighbor noticed his natural talent. They encouraged his parents to enroll him in a swimming club. Later, he studied business at Skema Business School. He also attended the prestigious French Grande École Paris-Dauphine IX.
Swimming Career Highlights
Starting His Career
Yannick Agnel showed his talent early on. At the 2009 European Junior Swimming Championships, he won gold medals. He set new European junior records in the 200-meter and 400-meter freestyle races. He was also part of the 4×200-meter freestyle relay team. They won gold, beating teams from Russia and Italy.
In April 2010, Yannick set a new French record. He swam the 200-meter freestyle in 1:46.35. This beat the old record held by Amaury Leveaux. In June 2010, he improved his own record to 1:46.30.
At the 2010 European Junior Swimming Championships, he set another French record. He swam the 400-meter freestyle in 3:46.26. This helped him win a gold medal.
Success at European Championships
At the 2010 European Aquatics Championships, Yannick won a gold medal. He set a new French and championship record in the 400-meter freestyle. He also teamed up with Fabien Gilot, William Meynard, and Alain Bernard. They won a silver medal in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay.
As the first swimmer in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay, Yannick broke his own French record. He swam the 200-meter freestyle in 1:45.83. His team, with Clement Lefert, Antton Haramboure, and Jérémy Stravius, won a bronze medal. They finished behind Russia and Germany.
World Championships in 2011
Yannick Agnel competed in three events at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships in Shanghai. In the 400-meter freestyle, he finished in 6th place. He then set a new French record in the 200-meter freestyle. He finished in fifth place with a time of 1:44.99.
His only medal at this competition was a silver. He earned it in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay. His team, including Grégory Mallet, Jérémy Stravius, and Fabien Gilot, set a new French record. They finished with a time of 7:04.81. The United States team won gold.
Olympic Glory in 2012
The 2012 Summer Olympics in London were a huge success for Yannick Agnel. He won three medals: two gold and one silver.
In his first event, the 4×100-meter freestyle relay, Yannick was the anchor swimmer. He helped his team, with Amaury Leveaux, Fabien Gilot, and Clément Lefert, win a gold medal. He started behind but caught up to the American swimmer Ryan Lochte. France won with a time of 3:09:93. Yannick had the fastest split time of any swimmer in the race.
The next day, Yannick won his second gold medal. He won the 200-meter freestyle race with a time of 1:43.14. This was the fastest time in French swimming history. He led the race from start to finish.
Yannick won his final medal, a silver, in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay. His team finished behind the United States. He was again the anchor swimmer and had the fastest split time. In his last event, the 100-meter freestyle, he finished fourth. He was very close to winning another medal.
After the Olympics, the European Swimming Federation named Yannick Agnel the male European swimmer of the year for 2012.
Setting New Records After the Olympics
On November 15, 2012, Yannick Agnel broke his first world record. He set it in the 400-meter freestyle (short course) with a time of 3:32.25. This happened during the French short course nationals in Angers. He beat the previous record held by German swimmer Paul Biedermann.
A day later, he set a new European record in the 800-meter freestyle. He nearly broke another world record in the 200-meter freestyle (short course).
At the 2012 European Short Course Swimming Championships, Yannick won three more medals. He earned two gold medals and one bronze.
At the end of 2012, Swimming World Magazine named him the European Swimmer of the Year. In 2013, he was honored as a Knight (Chevalier) of the Légion d'honneur.
World Championships in 2013
At the 2013 FINA World Championships in Barcelona, Yannick Agnel competed in three events. On the first day, he helped his French team win their first-ever world title. They won the 4 × 100 m freestyle relay, beating the American and Russian teams. Yannick, along with Florent Manaudou, Fabien Gilot, and Jérémy Stravius, finished in 3:11.18.
Two days later, Yannick won his second gold medal. He won the 200 m freestyle with a time of 1:44.20. He finished well ahead of his training partner, Conor Dwyer. In his final event, the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay, his team finished fourth. They were very close to winning a medal.
Later Career and Retirement
After swimming in Nice, Yannick moved to the US. He trained with the North Baltimore Aquatic Club under coach Bob Bowman. This move presented challenges, and at the 2014 European Championship, he was not in his best form. He won a bronze medal in the 200m freestyle.
After this event, he decided to return to France. He began training in Mulhouse. In 2015, he qualified for the French national team. However, he chose not to compete at the world championship in Kazan due to illness.
In 2016, Yannick finished third in the 200m freestyle at the French national championships. This was a very close race. While he initially didn't qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympics, another swimmer's decision opened a spot for him. At the Rio Olympics, he did not advance past the heats in the 200m freestyle. Soon after, he announced his retirement from competitive swimming.
Personal Best Times
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Images for kids
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Olympic rings, a symbol of the Olympic Games.
See also
In Spanish: Yannick Agnel para niños
- World record progression 400 metres freestyle
