Miss Caledonia is not the only one known to the general public, and for good reason. Her brother could be one of the stars of the Games.
Due to the difficult political context in New Caledonia, the election of Miss New Caledonia 2025 will not take place, for the first time since 2009. It is therefore the current winner who will represent the region a second time in the national competition, which will be held at the end of the year. Emma Grousset, who was eliminated at the start of the competition last time, will therefore have a chance to do better.
And she will once again be able to count on some heavyweight support. That of her brother who knows a bit about competition. Because in the Gousset family, one talent can hide another. At 25, Maxime Grousset is one of the hopes of French swimming at the Paris Olympics this summer. In the Grousset family, swimming is also a serious matter. Before getting on the podiums, Emma Grousset also practiced swimming from a very young age, just like her older brother.
After sharing the pools, the brother and sister have visibly remained united since Maxime Grousset ardently supported his sister during the beauty contest last year, as she explained from New Caledonia at the end of December. “Maxime took care of me for a week. He brought me a lot and always has a benevolent look at what I do. In my journey as a miss, he allowed me to keep a cool head and my feet on the ground. So, every day, I thank him,” she said.
But Maxime Grousset will have to take care of himself this summer: he will participate in his first Olympic Games, with real chances of medals in the three disciplines in which he is entered, the 50m and 100m freestyle as well as the 100m butterfly. He is even one of the headliners of the French swimming delegation, and one of the best chances of the delegation.
After a stunning world championships last year in Fukuoka, Japan, during which Maxime Grousset won a gold medal and two bronze medals, the Noumea native improved again, beating his personal best in the 100m freestyle during the qualifications for the Games a few days ago in Chartres.
He also says that the year 2023 has changed his way of approaching competition and the way others view his performances: “Before, people didn’t take me into account, today, people pay much more attention to me. In terms of self-confidence, maybe it was unlocked but I didn’t feel anything. I just understood what it felt like to win and to be at that level. That’s what did me good mentally.”