French swimmer books Olympics spot then dislocates shoulder celebrating

Rafael Fente-Damers booked his ticket to the Paris Olympics with a second-placed finish in the 100m freestyle final at the French Olympic trials on Tuesday but the teenager’s exuberant celebrations came at a cost as he injured a shoulder.

Fente-Damers, who also earned a spot on France’s 4x100m relay team after finishing behind Maxime Grousset in Chartres, recorded a personal best of 48.14 seconds, beating the Olympic qualifying time of 48.34.

Immediately after the race, the 17-year-old excitedly slapped the water before clutching his left shoulder in pain. He was later pictured on the podium with his arm in a sling, with L’Equipe reporting that he had dislocated a shoulder and was taken to hospital.

Hello @FFLose ! Rafael Fente-Damers 🏊‍♂️, pépite de 18 ans, a composté son billet pour le 100 mètres nage libre aux JO (48"14 !), et par la même occasion... s'est déboité l'épaule. Oui oui. pic.twitter.com/Ux1feNMx51

— Ronan Caroff (@CaroffRonan) June 18, 2024

“I hope it goes well for him because we’re waiting for him for the relay,” said Grousset, who attracted the attention of medical staff after the race and helped Fente-Damers out of the pool. “He’s a bit crazy, that’s why he’s good. He’s not afraid of anything and I think he’s going to progress.”

Competition in the pool at the Paris Games takes place from 27 July to 4 August at the París La Défense Arena.