Édouard Fullum-Huot received an unexpected text message last week. That of Yannick Lupien, who complimented him for breaking his provincial record in the 100m freestyle at the Bell Canadian Swimming Trials on Friday night in Toronto.
Lupien’s mark (49.65s) has stood since the Melbourne Commonwealth Games in 2006, when Fullum-Huot was 3 years old.
“He wrote to me personally congratulating me and telling me I was on the right track,” the now 20-year-old Montrealer said Monday afternoon as he returned from Toronto with his father.
“I was very happy and surprised that he was still following this. He is still a legend in the history of Quebec in the sprint. »
Fullum-Huot clocked both lengths in 49.43s to finish third in the final to qualify for the relay at the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, July 23-30. This is a first for him.
“It was a goal, but the performances I’ve had in Trials are amazing. It was my first long course competition of the year, I didn’t really know what to expect. »
In the 50m freestyle the day before, the representative of the Pointe-Claire Swimming Club (PCSC) came close to securing his place in this event, finishing second… four hundredths from the World Aquatics minimum standard. He achieved another provincial record. In theory, he should still be able to swim this race in Japan.
“For sure I would have liked to do the A time, but I couldn’t ask for much better for this competition. »
Fullum-Huot is one of 14 male athletes selected by Swimming Canada for the Worlds. Two PCSC teammates will accompany him: Eric Brown, winner of the 400, 800 and 1500m freestyle, and Patrick Hussey, silver medalist in the 200m freestyle. Montreal native Ilya Kharun, a butterfly specialist who swims in Nevada, is also among the chosen ones.
On the women’s side, CAMO club teammates Katerine Savard (100m butterfly) and Mary-Sophie Harvey (4X100m, 4X200m) hit the mark in a 17-man women’s group led by sensation Summer McIntosh , 16 years old and author of two world records in Toronto.
In total, five swimmers representing the Quebec federation will participate in the World Championships. Quite a contrast with 2019, where none had made the mark, both among juniors and seniors.
Fullum-Huot credits his blossoming to his senior year with the University of Florida Gators, where the environment is ultra-competitive, if only for internal qualifying for head-to-heads and divisional championships.
“That’s what makes all the difference,” said the first-year sports management student. Basically, every workout is a competition. Everyone we train with is world class. Everyone wants to make international teams, go to the Olympics. We all have the same goals and we work in the same direction. It pushes us to improve. »
With the Gators, a mix of professionals and students like him, he rubs shoulders with, among others, Katie Ledecky, seven-time Olympic champion and the greatest crawler in history. More recently, Caeleb Dressel, five-time gold medalist at the Tokyo Olympics who had taken a break, is gradually returning to his group.
“The first time I found myself in the same lane as him, it was really impressive to see him swim, push off the wall, make flows,” admitted the athlete from Hochelaga-Maisonneuve. We learn a lot. »
A former member of the CAMO and Neptune Natation clubs at the Olympic Stadium, Édouard Fullum-Huot moved to boarding school in the West Island to join the PCSC in Secondary V. “I wanted to study in English to go to university outside of Quebec and have another experience. »
Last year, his coach Martin Gingras put him in touch with Anthony Nesty, Olympic champion for Suriname and head coach with the University of Florida, a powerhouse in American and world swimming. Eric Brown of Pointe-Claire followed Fullum-Huot to Florida.
“It’s my reality,” explained Martin Gingras. I am a developer. My role is to bring athletes to the highest level possible before they turn 19. »
Isn’t it frustrating to lose your best people to the American university system?
“It’s hard, you have no idea how,” he admitted. There’s a bit of jealousy in there. I have to tell myself that if they went there, it was because I gave them good tools to continue to perform. »
The NCAA club level has no equivalent in Canada, he points out. Eric Brown completed the 800m-1500m double for the third year in a row on the national scene. “No matter where he goes in Canada, he’s the best. »
In Florida, Brown has a dozen sparring partners he has to compete with on a daily basis. “He trains with Ledecky every day. You gotta hold your ass tight with her if you don’t want to get beat up! It’s an amazing training environment. »
Same thing with Fullum-Huot, who rubs shoulders with his friend and compatriot Josh Liendo, the best Canadian swimmer currently.
“There are other super strong guys in the Florida sprint,” Gingras said. They told me that their training is very similar to what I wrote on the board here. Edouard does not swim differently and he has not changed his technique compared to last year. He’s just stronger and he’s developed a confidence that he didn’t have because he’s challenged every day. »
Fullum-Huot wants to continue his progress and qualify for the Paris Olympics, where the criteria will be tightened next year.
“I’m on the right track, especially in the 50m. Anthony Nesty’s goal is to put as many people as possible on Olympic teams. This is one of the goals. So we train a lot in the long course, even during the university season [in yards]. »
Patrick Hussey, from Beaconsfield, has just completed his third year at the University of North Carolina, where he is studying economics. Mark Gangloff, double Olympic gold medalist in the relay, is his coach.
“My sister did it before me and she was happy with her experience,” he said when he returned to Chapel Hill on Monday afternoon. I wanted to follow in his footsteps. I found a good school that wanted to support me and good coaches that wanted all my dreams to come true. It’s still difficult to balance studies and swimming, but it’s still going well. »
Hussey qualified in the 4 X 200m relay with a silver medal in the individual event and a provincial record. He slashed two seconds off his best time set a year earlier.
“I’m only one second off the Olympic standard,” said the man who took part in the Budapest Worlds and the Commonwealth Games last year. It motivates me to improve a lot and it brings me closer to my goal of making the Olympic team. »
Summer McIntosh, Maggie MacNeil and Taylor Ruck also swim in the United States. Among the female stars, Penny Oleksiak is now an exception, she who is perfecting her rehabilitation at the Ontario High Performance Center in Toronto, under the supervision of Montreal coach Ryan Mallette.
The five Quebec swimmers qualified for the Worlds will meet for a Swimming Canada preparation camp in Mallorca. They will then take part in the Barcelona and Monaco stages of the Mare Nostrum circuit.
Yannick Lupien will surely be on the lookout.
