// Workers AI · dad joke modeWho's Gilles Rondy? Round-y good guy?
 Gilles Rondy at the start of the European Championships in Berlin, 2002 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National team |  France | |||||||||||||||||
| Born | 4 September 1981 Brest, France | |||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Swimming | |||||||||||||||||
| Strokes | Open water swimming | |||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Gilles Rondy (born 4 September 1981 in Brest) is a French open water swimmer. A former member of the French national team, he was European champion over 25 km in 2006 and has held the French record for the English Channel swim since 2004. He is also known for a series of long-distance solo crossings and for his environmental advocacy for the protection of the seas and oceans.
Biography
[edit]Originally from Brittany, Gilles Rondy grew up in a culture shaped by the ocean before living for several years in Martinique, and then settling in the French Basque Country, where he now lives with his wife and two daughters.[1] He describes open water swimming as a space of "power and silence", one that led him from elite competition to a broader commitment to protecting the seas and oceans.[1]
Sporting career
[edit]International competition (2001–2008)
[edit]A member of the French national swimming team, Rondy competed for nearly a decade in most of the international open water circuit organised by FINA (the Open Water Swimming World Cup, the World Championships and the European Championships), over distances of 10 km and 25 km, as well as in marathons of 15 to 57 km during World Cup legs.[2]
He took part in the World Championships in 2001 (Fukuoka), 2003 (Barcelona), 2005 (Montreal), 2006 (Naples), 2007 (Melbourne) and 2008 (Seville), and won two medals at the European Championships in the 25 km open water event: silver in Berlin in 2002 and gold in Budapest in 2006.[2] He was selected to represent France in the 10 km open water event at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, where he finished 15th.[2]
Solo crossings
[edit]English Channel (2004)
[edit]On 9 September 2004, Rondy swam across the English Channel between England and France in 7 h 54 min,[2] a time that set the French record for the discipline, still standing more than twenty years later.[3] According to his own account, he was ahead of world-record pace for more than five hours before a turn of the tide—following a start delayed by the weather—slowed him over the final kilometres.[3]
Ushant – mainland
[edit]Rondy swam from the island of Ushant to the Breton mainland, a distance of about 30 km across the Fromveur Passage, one of the strongest currents in Europe, which separates the Molène archipelago from Ushant. The start was given at night to make use of the favourable current. An equipment failure forced him to swim without a wetsuit in water of 12–13 °C, while several support swimmers wearing neoprene wetsuits had to give up because of the cold.[4]
Saint Lucia – Martinique (2017)
[edit]On 13 May 2017, he became the first swimmer to cross from Saint Lucia to Martinique, through the channel separating the two islands, in 10 h 58 min over about 34 km.[2] On his own website, the crossing is described as 40 km long and completed in 11 hours, marked by a passage through a swarm of jellyfish that caused prolonged vomiting.[5] According to the Ultraswimming.org database, this was the first crossing ever recorded on this route ("Overall First").[2]
Martinique Challenge (2026)
[edit]On 9 May 2026, Rondy swam from La Trinité to Fort-de-France, a distance of about 80 km along the north coast of Martinique (Le Prêcheur, Le Carbet), in 22 hours of continuous swimming, by day and by night, without a wetsuit or physical assistance.[6] The effort, estimated at 75,000 arm strokes, resulted in a 5 kg weight loss and critical moments described by the swimmer himself—"The last 10 kilometres took me four hours"—in particular during the night passage into the wind between Le Prêcheur and Le Carbet.[6]
The crossing was designed as a full-scale test ahead of the Mediterranean Challenge, in order to assess the athlete's ability to swim for more than 20 hours without interruption.[6] It received national and international media coverage, notably from Martinique 1ère (France Info),[7] RCI Martinique,[8] Le Parisien, Ouest-France and Le Télégramme, as well as the international press, including the Romanian daily Libertatea.[9]
Mediterranean Challenge: Calvi–Nice crossing (planned, 2026)
[edit]Rondy is preparing, for the second half of August 2026, an attempt to swim across the Mediterranean Sea between Calvi (Corsica) and Nice (mainland), presented as a world first under these conditions.[10] The straight-line distance between the two points is 160 km, but Mediterranean currents would bring the actual distance swum to about 180 km (up to 200 km by some estimates), for an estimated 60 to 120 hours of continuous swimming, without leaving the water or touching the escort boat, at a target average speed of about 3 km/h.[10]
The project is run by the Défi, Nage, Mer et Océan association, with an announced budget of €65,000 for maritime logistics, safety and video capture.[10] It also carries an environmental message about the warming of the Mediterranean, presented as warming 20% faster than the global average, and about plastic pollution of the oceans.[10]
Honours
[edit]- European Championships
- 2002 European Championships in Berlin
Silver Silver medal in the 25 km open water
- 2006 European Championships in Budapest
Gold Gold medal in the 25 km open water (5 h 10 min 17 s)
- 2002 European Championships in Berlin
- Open Water Swimming World Cup
- Third overall in the 2005 World Cup (6 podiums)
- French Championships
- French champion in the 25 km open water in 2002, 2005 and 2006
- Solo crossings
- French record holder for the English Channel swim since 2004
- First swim crossing between Saint Lucia and Martinique (2017)
- 30 km crossing between Ushant and the Breton mainland, through the Fromveur current
- La Trinité–Fort-de-France crossing (80 km, 22 h of continuous swimming, 9 May 2026)
Results
[edit]The results below are drawn from the Ultraswimming.org database, reproduced on the website of the Défi, Nage, Mer et Océan association.[2]
Solo swims
[edit]| Date | Event | Route | Distance (km) | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 September 2004 | English Channel | England → France | 33 | 07:54:00 |
| 13 May 2017 | Saint Lucia Channel | Saint Lucia → Martinique | 34 | 10:58:00 |
International races
[edit]| Date | Event | Venue / route | Distance (km) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 July 2001 | World Championships | Fukuoka (Japan) | 5 | 00:56:57 (8th/32) |
| 23 February 2002 | FINA World Cup | Rosario (Argentina) | 22 | 02:05:40 (9th/25) |
| 3 March 2002 | FINA World Cup | Santa Fe → Coronda (Argentina) | 57 | 07:40:48 (5th/18) |
| 15 March 2002 | FINA World Cup | Dubai (buoy course) | 16 | 03:21:47 (12th/24) |
| 14 April 2002 | FINA World Cup | Brasília (buoy course) | 10 | 02:05:22 (6th/13) |
| 26 July 2002 | European Championships | Berlin | 25 | 05:18:02 (2nd/19) — Silver |
| 2 March 2003 | FINA World Cup | Santa Fe → Coronda (Argentina) | 57 | 07:35:07 (7th/20) |
| 13 July 2003 | World Championships | Barcelona | 10 | 01:51:13 (7th/32) |
| 30 August 2003 | Faros Marathon Swim | Stari Grad Bay (out and back) | 16 | 03:30:10 (3rd/18) |
| 1 November 2003 | FINA World Cup | Cancún (buoy course) | 10 | 01:48:05 (10th/18) |
| 29 February 2004 | FINA World Cup | Santa Fe → Coronda (Argentina) | 57 | 08:23:51 (2nd/19) |
| 19 March 2004 | FINA World Cup | Ain Sokhna (Red Sea) | 10 | 02:02:55 (6th/29) |
| 12 May 2004 | European Championships | Madrid | 10 | 01:45:30 (9th/17) |
| 15 May 2004 | European Championships | Madrid | 25 | 04:18:27 (8th/17) |
| 20 June 2004 | FINA World Cup | Hong Kong (Repulse Bay) | 10 | 01:55:54 (6th/17) |
| 10 July 2004 | Maratona del Golfo Capri-Napoli | Capri → Naples | 30.8 | 07:20:08 (10th/30) |
| 24 July 2004 | FINA World Cup | Atlantic City, Absecon Island loop | 36.6 | 07:01:14 (7th/23) |
| 31 July 2004 | FINA World Cup | Lac Saint-Jean crossing, Péribonka → Roberval | 32 | 06:38:29 (5th/28) |
| 2 April 2005 | FINA World Cup | Cañón del Sumidero (Mexico) | 15 | 03:35:51 (2nd/31) |
| 12 June 2005 | FINA World Cup | London (buoy course) | 10 | 01:57:36 (3rd/20) |
| 18 June 2005 | Ohrid Swim Marathon | Sveti Naum → Ohrid | 30 | 05:23:58 (1st/21) |
| 26 June 2005 | FINA World Cup | Jarak → Šabac (Serbia) | 19 | 02:33:33 (3rd/28) |
| 17 July 2005 | World Championships | Montreal | 25 | 05:00:35 (7th/30) |
| 17 July 2005 | World Championships | Montreal | 10 | 01:47:04 (4th/31) |
| 30 July 2005 | Traversée internationale du lac Saint-Jean | Péribonka → Roberval | 32 | 06:56:03 (3rd/27) |
| 11 September 2005 | FINA World Cup | Ismailia (Egypt) | 10 | 01:54:04 (2nd/14) |
| 16 September 2005 | FINA World Cup | Fujairah (United Arab Emirates) | 10 | 02:09:19 (4th/16) |
| 22 September 2005 | FINA World Cup | Dubai (buoy course) | 10 | 02:09:23 (5th/17) |
| 2 October 2005 | FINA World Cup | Hong Kong (Repulse Bay) | 10 | 01:59:11 (10th/20) |
| 26 February 2006 | FINA World Cup | Santa Fe → Coronda (Argentina) | 57 | 08:13:13 (8th/21) |
| 17 June 2006 | FINA World Cup | Seville (buoy course) | 10 | 01:54:06 (1st/33) |
| 9 July 2006 | FINA World Cup | Jarak → Šabac (Serbia) | 19 | 02:30:57 (5th/30) |
| 26 July 2006 | European Championships | Budapest | 10 | 01:58:23 (5th/28) |
| 29 July 2006 | European Championships | Budapest | 25 | 05:10:17 (1st/15) — Gold |
| 29 August 2006 | World Championships | Naples | 10 | 02:11:01 (16th/37) |
| 29 August 2006 | World Championships | Naples | 25 | 05:58:41 (8th/15) |
| 17 March 2007 | World Championships | Melbourne | 10 | 01:58:41 (29th/53) |
| 17 March 2007 | World Championships | Melbourne | 25 | 05:54:19 (14th/20) |
| 9 June 2007 | FINA World Cup 10 km | Seville (buoy course) | 10 | 01:53:01 (25th/56) |
| 17 June 2007 | FINA World Cup 10 km | London (buoy course) | 10 | 01:56:16 (7th/31) |
| 13 October 2007 | FINA Grand Prix | Cañón del Sumidero (Mexico) | 15 | 03:18:17 (11th/33) |
| 15 March 2008 | FINA World Cup 10 km | Dubai (buoy course) | 10 | 01:49:13 (15th/44) |
| 3 May 2008 | World Championships | Seville | 10 | 01:53:39 (11th/52) |
| 28 June 2008 | FINA World Cup 10 km | Setúbal (Portugal) | 10 | 01:55:29 (7th/20) |
| 21 August 2008 | Olympic Games | Beijing | 10 | 01:52:16 (15th/25) |
Environmental advocacy and association
[edit]Gilles Rondy founded the non-profit association Défi, Nage, Mer et Océan, whose registered office is located in Boucau (Pyrénées-Atlantiques).[11] The association's purpose is to promote open water swimming while supporting the protection of the Mediterranean Sea and marine environments; it states that it donates any financial surplus in full to a marine protection association, and specifies that no member of the board, including Gilles Rondy, receives any direct or indirect remuneration.[11]
In the media
[edit]The May 2026 Martinique crossing and the Calvi–Nice project received media coverage in France and abroad, notably from:
- Martinique la 1ère (France Info), reports and live coverage of the finish;[7]
- RCI Martinique, interview and broadcast of the conclusion;[8]
- Le Parisien, Ouest-France and Le Télégramme, national coverage;
- the French Swimming Federation, regarding the Mediterranean crossing project;[12]
- the Romanian daily Libertatea, for the international coverage of the Martinique feat.[9]
References
[edit]- 1 2 "Qui suis-je ?". mer-et-ocean.org (in French). Retrieved 1 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Résultats et Palmarès de Gilles Rondy – Nage en eau libre". mer-et-ocean.org (in French). Retrieved 1 July 2026.
- 1 2 "Traversée de la Manche à la nage – Record de France". mer-et-ocean.org (in French). Retrieved 1 July 2026.
- ↑ "Traversée Ouessant – Continent : Le Baptême du Froid Breton". mer-et-ocean.org (in French). Retrieved 1 July 2026.
- ↑ "Traversée Sainte-Lucie – Martinique : Le Canal de tous les Dangers". mer-et-ocean.org (in French). Retrieved 1 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Gilles Rondy : 80 km à la Nage en Martinique en 22 Heures — L'Exploit qui a Ému la France". mer-et-ocean.org (in French). 26 May 2026. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
- 1 2 "Parti de La Trinité, Gilles Rondy est arrivé à Fort-de-France après 22h de nage". la1ere.franceinfo.fr (in French). 9 May 2026. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
- 1 2 "L'exploit de Gilles Rondy : plus de 22h de nage entre La Trinité et Fort-de-France". rci.fm (in French). 9 May 2026. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
- 1 2 "Un Français a perdu 5 kg en nageant 80 km pendant 22 heures en Martinique". libertatea.ro (in Romanian). May 2026. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "Le Défi Méditerranéen : Traverser la Méditerranée à la Nage, de Calvi à Nice — Première Mondiale". mer-et-ocean.org (in French). 26 May 2026. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
- 1 2 "Accueil – Défi, Nage, Mer et Océan". mer-et-ocean.org (in French). Retrieved 1 July 2026.
- ↑ "Le nouveau défi de Rondy : traverser la Méditerranée à la nage". ffnatation.fr (in French). Retrieved 1 July 2026.