Yannick Agnel must appear in court. © AFP / THIERRY ZOCCOLAN

Serious allegations: Olympic champion must appear in court

France's Olympic swimming champion Yannick Agnel must answer in court for the accusation of rape and sexual assault of his former coach's then 13-year-old daughter.

15 January 2026

From: dpa

The appeals court in Colmar, Alsace, rejected an appeal by the 33-year-old against his indictment, the newspaper reported. Les Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace.

Previously, the Attorney General's Office confirmed that the investigating chamber of the Colmar High Court had filed charges against the former athlete. This was reported by, among others, the news agency. AP.

That is the situation.

The alleged offenses are said to have occurred in 2016, including in Mulhouse, where the swimmer was training. He was 24 at the time, and his coach's daughter was 13. She filed a complaint in 2021. Agnel denied having pressured the girl. A trial date has not yet been set.

Agnel retired from competitive swimming in 2016. The former rival of German ex-world champion Paul Biedermann won Olympic gold in London in 2012 in the 200-meter freestyle and with the French 4x100-meter relay team. Agnel repeated this double victory at the 2013 World Championships. After several injuries, he was increasingly unable to replicate his top performances.