Axel Reymond

Axel Reymond established himself as a formidable force in open water swimming, achieving the Vice-Champion of France title in the 10km event in 2008 shortly after discovering the sport. His early career saw rapid national success, becoming the number one French Under 16 swimmer in 2009 with six French Cup stage wins. He continued this dominant trajectory into 2010, securing nine victories in the Cup of France and earning a bronze medal at the Open Water Championships in France. Reymond’s international presence began to flourish in 2011, marked by his first international bronze medal at a COMEN Cup stage in Limassol, Cyprus.

In 2016, Reymond won his fifth French 25km Championship title and secured another European gold in the 25km at the European Championships in Hoorn, Netherlands. The pinnacle of his career arrived in 2017, becoming the first French Men’s World Champion in the 25km open water event at the World Aquatics Championships in Budapest. He earned a 5km silver at the 2018 European Swimming Championships in Glasgow before successfully defending his World Champion title in the 25km at the World Swimming Championships in Gwangju, South Korea, in 2019. That same year, he won the UltraMarathon World Cup 25km Open Water Race and achieved triple Military World Champion status (10km, 5km, mixed relay) in Wuhan, China.

Reymond diversified his expertise in 2020 by becoming the French champion in 1,000m icy water, setting a new national record. His consistent high-level performance was evidenced by his third European gold in the 25km at the 2020-21 European Championships in Budapest, Hungary. Most recently, he won the Men’s 10KM at the U.S. Open Water National Championships in 2024.