2025 Swammy Awards: European Coach of the Year - Fred Vergnoux
See all of our 2025 Swammy Awards here (https://swimswam.com/swimswams-official-2025-swammy-awards-index/).
Fred Vergnoux, a French native and the head coach of CN Antibes, was awarded the Swammy Award for European Coach of the Year for his role in guiding Canadian swimmer Summer McIntosh to an outstanding year in 2025.
Vergnoux and McIntosh's collaboration began with a three-week altitude training camp in January, which proved to be a turning point for McIntosh. Despite her initial hesitation due to a coaching change at home, she ultimately spent the entire lead-up to the World Championships with Vergnoux, a decision that paid dividends.
Vergnoux, known for his distance coaching, made an immediate impact on McIntosh. At the Southern Zone Sectionals in February, McIntosh clocked an 8:09.86 in the 800 freestyle, becoming just the second woman in history to break the 8:10 barrier and lowering her own Commonwealth and Canadian Record of 8:11.39.
In March, McIntosh set a new U.S. Open Record with a 4:26.98 in the 400 IM, a new Pro Swim Series Record with a 2:04.00 in the 200 fly, and won the 200 IM in 2:07.42. Her performance continued to improve, with a 3:54.18 in the 400 free at the Canadian Trials in June, shattering Ariarne Titmus' world record of 3:55.38 and knocking nearly two seconds off her own previous best time.
In the 800 free, McIntosh produced a time of 8:05.07, chopping nearly five seconds off her best time and pulling within 95 one-hundredths of the newly minted world record set by Katie Ledecky just one month earlier. Her performance in the 200 fly marked a new textile world record, Commonwealth, and Canadian Record, and she came within 18 one-hundredths of the vaunted super-suited world record of 2:01.81 set by Liu Zige in 2009.
McIntosh's success continued with a historic performance at the 2025 World Championships, where she won four individual gold medals, becoming just the second woman to accomplish the feat alongside Ledecky. Her five individual medals also made her the second woman to do so at a single World Championships, joining Sarah Sjöström.
In the 800 free, McIntosh ended up settling for bronze in a time of 8:07.29, adding just over two seconds from her best time while gaining valuable experience in the high-stakes final. Vergnoux, who believed McIntosh could break eight minutes, attributed her performance to a lack of execution and overthinking.
Despite the setback, McIntosh's progress under Vergnoux is evident, with three sub-8:10 swims under her belt, something only Ledecky (13) and Lani Pallister (1) have ever done. Vergnoux's coaching philosophy, which focuses on high expectations and pushing the limits, has been instrumental in McIntosh's success.
After her post-World Championship break, McIntosh made the move to join Bowman at the University of Texas in the fall. Vergnoux also guided Frenchman Marc-Antoine Olivier to bronze medals in the men's 5km and the inaugural 3km knockout sprint event at the 2025 World Championships.
Other notable coaches mentioned include Adrian Radulescu, who guided David Popovici to a phenomenal year, reclaiming the throne in the men's 100 freestyle and defending his spot in the 200 free; Michel Chrétien, who helped Maxime Grousset win world titles in Singapore and rewrite the record books in sprint fly events; and Philippe Lucas, who played a role in Ahmed Jaouadi's dominant performance at the 2025 World Championships.
