Axel Reymond

Born on February 13, 1994, in Paris, France, Axel Reymond began his swimming journey at the age of six with the “Association Sportive Le Plessis Savigny.” Under the guidance of his coach, Magali Mérino, Reymond discovered open water swimming in 2008, quickly demonstrating his aptitude by becoming the Vice-Champion of France in the 10km event. His early career was marked by significant national success, becoming the number one French Under 16 years old in 2009 with six French Cup stage wins. He continued this trajectory in 2010, securing nine victories in the Cup of France and earning a bronze medal at the Open Water Championships in France, solidifying his status as a promising talent in the sport.

Reymond’s international career began to flourish in 2011, earning his first international bronze medal at a COMEN Cup stage in Limassol, Cyprus. This led to his integration into the France Swimming A Team in 2012, marking his first appearances at the World Championships in Welland, Canada, where he placed 7th in the 7.5km, and the European Championships in Piombino, Italy, where he claimed a bronze medal in the 25km. He maintained a dominant presence nationally, securing consecutive French Championship titles in the 25km from 2012 to 2015. A significant career highlight came in 2014 when he won the European Gold Medal in the 25km at the European Swimming Championships in Berlin, Germany, with a time of 4 hours 59 minutes 18.8 seconds. In 2015, he signed a two-year contract with the French Land Army, becoming part of the French Champions Swimming Military Force and participating in the World Military Games. Despite a disappointing 4th place at the 2015 World Championships in Kazan, he ended the year by breaking the French National Hour Time Record, covering 5,859.25m in a 25-meter pool.

In 2016, Reymond continued his success by winning his fifth French Championship title in the 25km and securing another European gold medal in the 25km at the European Championships in Hoorn, Netherlands. The pinnacle of his career arrived in 2017 when he became the first French Men’s World Champion in the 25km open water event at the World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, defending his title again in 2019 in Gwangju, South Korea. His achievements extended to military competitions, becoming the 2019 Military World Champion in the 10km, 5km, and mixed relay events in Wuhan, China. In 2020, he diversified his expertise by becoming the French champion in 1,000m icy water, setting a new French record. His consistent high-level performance was further evidenced by his third European gold in the 25km at the 2020-21 European Championships in Budapest, Hungary.