article by Nicholas Pucci
In the almost centennial history of the Olympic Games, when it comes to freestyle, France, when we are now in the middle of the eighties, still lacks to be included in the golden register of fast distances. In fact, the transalpines rejoiced with Jean Boiteux in Melbourne, starting from 1956, who imposed himself in the 400 meters, taking the only gold in five circles and improving on the silver taken by Jean Taris in Los Angeles, in 1932, for then climb on the third step of the podium with Alain Mosconi in Mexico City in 1968. Ma if we are talking about 100 and 200 meters (the 50 meters are introduced only from the 1988 Seoul edition)… nothing, absolutely nothing. Until Stephan Caron appears on the scene.
Born in Rouen on July 1, 1966, after making his debut at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, where he ranks sixth both in the 100m freestyle with a time of 50″70 and with the 4x100m free relay, Caron, who he undoubtedly deserves the title of strongest transalpine sprinter of the second half of the eighties, came to prominence at the European Championships in Sofia in 1985 where he won the gold medal in the 100m freestyle with a time of 50″20, surprisingly surpassing the East German Jorg Woithe, Olympic champion in Moscow in 1980 and world champion in Guayaquil in 1982, to then come second both on the 100sl (in 49″97) and on the 200sl (in 1’49″78) at the Kobe Universiade of the same year, in both cases defeated by the American Matt Biondi.
Duel, the one with the US giant, which is proposed again the following year, on the occasion of World Cup in Madrid in 1986, with the same result, with the French wedged between the two representatives”stars and stripes” Matt Biondi, winner with 48″94, and Tom Jager, making the silver his own improving himself to 49″73, to then swim in 50″14 the first fraction of the 4x100m freestyle relay, which concludes the race still in sixth place.
After coming close to the European encore at the 1987 Strasbourg continental reviewdefeated by only 0.09 cents (49.79 to 49.88) by East German Sven Lodziewski, the appointment was postponed to the 1988 Seoul Olympics, where Caron achieved the third time in the heats with 49″37 behind the American couple Biondi and Jacobs, a placement that he confirmed in the final, won by Biondi in 48″63 ahead of his compatriot and the French which does not improve, closing in 49 “62 but finally giving France the first medal in the fast freestyle events at the Gamesto then launch the transalpine relay to assault the podium with a 49″97 in the first fraction, escaped by 0″20 cents compared to the East German quartet due to the trifle.
With the objective difficulty of falling below 49″ net – his best time on the distance was achieved in 49″18 on August 4, 1991 in a meeting in Millau -, Caron can only be a spectator to the success of the blue Giorgio Lamberti on the 100sl at the 1989 European Championships in Bonnclosing in fourth position with 50″16 (moreover just one cent from bronze and 0″03 from silver), and then achieve the silver medal with both the 4x100m sl relay and the 4x100m medleywhere his last fraction in 49″05 is essential to save the second place from the onslaught of Lamberti for the Italian quartet.
Presenting himself at the 1991 World Championships in Perth to try to hit once again an important podium on the 100sl, Caron had to settle for sixth place in 50″26 in the race won by Biondi in 49″18 to then prepare for the farewell step with the participation in his third Olympics in Barcelona in 1992, where, surprisingly, he takes the satisfaction, swimming in 49 “50, to climb again on the third step of the podium and leaving the American couple formed by Jon Olsen (49″51) and Matt Biondi (49″53) on the sidelines, in the race that sees the triumph of the Russian champion Alexander Popov in 49″02, to then conclude an excellent career with two last fractions of 48″65 and 48″96 which see the French quartet arrive respectively fourth and fifth in the 4x100sl and 4×100 medley relays.
It will then be the turn of Alain Bernard, Florent Manaudou and Yannick Agnel to play “the Marseillaise” in an Olympic swimming pool… but this one, really, It’s a story from the 2000s.