Malia Metella

Malia Metella
Metella in lane 4 at the French swimming championships
Personal information
Full nameMalia Metella
Nationality France
Born (1982-02-23) 23 February 1982
Cayenne, French Guiana, France[1]
Height1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesButterfly, freestyle
Medal record
Olympic Games
2004 Athens 50 m freestyle
World Championships (LC)
2005 Montreal 100 m freestyle
World Championships (SC)
2006 Shanghai 100 m freestyle
European Championships (LC)
2004 Madrid 100 m freestyle
2004 Madrid 4×100 freestyle
2004 Madrid 4×100 medley
2004 Madrid 100 m butterfly
2006 Budapest 4×100 m freestyle
European Championships (SC)
2003 Dublin 100 m freestyle
2004 Vienna 100 m freestyle
2003 Dublin 50 m freestyle
2004 Vienna 100 m butterfly
2007 Debrecen 4×50 m medley
Mediterranean Games
2001 Tunis 100 m butterfly
2009 Pescara 50 m freestyle
2009 Pescara 4×100 m freestyle

Malia Metella (born 23 February 1982) is a French Olympic freestyle swimmer from French Guiana. She swam for France at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, winning a silver medal in 2004 in the 50 metre freestyle. She won a silver medal in the 100 metre freestyle at the 2005 World Aquatics Championships.

Swimming career

Metella began swimming at the age of four at the USLM Pacoussines-Cayenne club, as her mother was also a swimmer. Her younger brother Mehdy Metella is also a world-class swimmer. She left French Guiana when she turned 18 years old to compete for the Dauphins du TOEC club in Toulouse and train at the INSEP in Paris.[2][3]

One year after moving to mainland France, Metella became the 2001 French champion in the 50 metre freestyle and the 100 metre butterfly. She was selected to compete at the 2001 Short Course European Championships and finished 21st in the heats in both events. She also won a gold medal at the 2001 Mediterranean Games. She successfully defended both of her national titles in 2002.[3]

Metella won a gold medal at the 2003 European Short Course Championships in the 100 metre freestyle. The win was considered an "upset", and she came back from being in fourth place at the halfway point. She also won a bronze medal at the 50 metre freestyle.[4] At the 2004 European Championships, she won gold medals in the 100 metre freestyle and a silver medal in the 100 metre butterfly. She also won gold medals with the French 4 × 100 metre freestyle and medley relays.[2]

Metella represented France at the 2004 Summer Olympics and finished fourth in the 100 metre freestyle, only 0.10 seconds behind the bronze medalist. She went on to win the silver medal in the 50 metre freestyle, behind Inge de Bruijn.[5][6] She also competed with the French 4 × 100 m freestyle relay that placed fifth.[7] After the Olympic Games, she competed at the 2004 European Short Course Championships and won the gold medal in the 100 metre freestyle. She also won a bronze medal in the 100 metre butterfly.[8]

Metella won a silver medal in the 100 metre freestyle at the 2005 World Aquatics Championships in a tie with Natalie Coughlin.[9][10] She won a bronze medal with the 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay at the 2006 European Aquatics Championships but placed fourth in the 50 metre freestyle and did not advance into the 100 metre freestyle finals.[11] She then won the silver medal in the 100 metre freestyle at the 2006 FINA World Championships.[12] At the 2007 European Short Course Championships, she won a bronze medal in the 4 × 50 metre medley.[13]

Metella represented France at the 2008 Summer Olympics in the 50 metre freestyle, where she finished 12th, and in the 100 metre freestyle, where she finished sixth. She announced her retirement from the sport on 3 November 2009, at the age of 27.[14]

Post-swimming career

In 2021, she swam across Lake Titicaca alongside French Paralympian Théo Curin.[15] As of 2023, she works as a wealth manager at an insurance company.[2]

Metella participated in the 2024 Summer Olympics torch relay during the leg in French Guiana.[16] The same year, she joined other athletes in an opinion piece in L'Équipe advocating for voting against the far-right in the 2024 French legislative election.[17]

References

  1. ^ Metella's entry from www.sports-reference.com; retrieved 2 August 2011.
  2. ^ a b c Corea, Massiré (12 May 2023). "Mai 2004 : la Guyanaise Malia Metella nage dans le bonheur". France Info (in French). Retrieved 16 May 2026.
  3. ^ a b "Malia, ambitions commandées" (PDF). Natation Course (in French). Retrieved 16 May 2026.
  4. ^ Whitten, Phillip (12 December 2003). "Cavic Sets World Record in the 100m Fly at Euro Short Course Champs". Swimming World Magazine. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
  5. ^ Boscher, Marie (21 August 2019). "Quinze ans après, la nageuse Malia Metella raconte avec émotion sa médaille olympique". France Info (in French). Retrieved 16 May 2026.
  6. ^ "2004 Olympic Games swimming results". CNN. Archived from the original on 14 August 2004. Retrieved 22 July 2007.
  7. ^ "4 × 100 metres Freestyle Relay, Women". Olympedia. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
  8. ^ Whitten, Phillip (13 December 2004). "Rupprath Wins His Fourth Gold as European Short Course Champs Close". Swimming World Magazine. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
  9. ^ "Leisel demolishes world record". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 29 July 2005. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
  10. ^ "Montreal 2005 Results". Archived from the original on 28 January 2007. Retrieved 9 June 2007.
  11. ^ "Metella, la grande joie". Eurosport (in French). 17 March 2007. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
  12. ^ "Shanghai 2006 results". Archived from the original on 6 March 2007. Retrieved 24 July 2007.
  13. ^ "European Short Course Championships: Day Three Finals, Two World Records Tumble". Swimming World Magazine. 15 December 2007. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
  14. ^ "Clap de fin pour Metella". Eurosport (in French). 3 November 2009. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
  15. ^ Val, Jérôme (10 November 2021). "Froid, altitude, stress : Théo Curin se lance dans la traversée à la nage du lac Titicaca". France Info (in French). Retrieved 16 May 2026.
  16. ^ "The gems of French Guiana illuminated by the Olympic Torch!". International Olympic Committee. 10 June 2024. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
  17. ^ "Tribune : des sportives et sportifs appellent à voter contre l'extrême-droite". L'Équipe (in French). 17 June 2024. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
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