Tokyo Olympians Charlotte and Laura Tremble have been confirmed among the eight-strong French artistic swimming team line-up for their home Games – Paris 2024.
The sisters finished eighth in the duet at Tokyo 2020 and are set to end their competitive careers after competing in their second Games.
They will only compete in the team event this summer though, with Eve Planeix and Anastasia Bayandina set to compete in the duet discipline.
Bayandina previously competed for Russia and claimed two World titles with the nation of her birth in 2017 before securing double European gold the following year.
After moving to France in 2019 she then took a near three year break from senior competition before returning to action with her new nation in 2022.
Bayandina, Planeix and the Tremble sisters, together with Laelys Alavez, Ambre Esnault, Laura Gonzalez and Romane Lunel, will form the first French Olympic artistic swimming team in 24 years.
“I’ve been selected for the Paris Olympics and I’m at a loss for words,” said Charlotte Tremble. “Now it’s the final stretch, so let’s go.”
Laura added; “You cannot imagine how happy I am!”
The last time the nation fielded an artistic swimming team at a Games they placed fourth and narrowly missed out on bronze to Canada at Sydney 2000.
In more recent times the French team have enjoyed continental medal successes, claiming gold (acrobatic) and bronze (technical) medals at the 2023 European Games.
They also secured a hattrick of third-place finishes at the 2022 European Championships.
Earlier this month they had the opportunity to compete in their nation’s new Olympic Aquatics Centre for the first time with the second leg of the World Aquatics Artistic Swimming World Cup doubling up as an official Paris 2024 test event.
“It was amazing to have so many people come to see us in the pool and it’s really motivating and gave us so much energy,” Laura Tremble told World Aquatics.
“I hope a lot of little girls and boys will see us and the next generation are inspired by watching us.”
The third leg of the World Aquatics Artistic Swimming World Cup will take place in Markham, Canada, from 31 May to 2 June.
Although the French team will not contest the event, instead focusing on preparations for the Olympics in their homeland, many leading nations will use the competition to help finalise their selections for Paris 2024.
Among those set to compete in Canada, together with the hosts, are regular major medal contenders China, Japan, Ukraine and USA.