French Olympic swimming champion Yannick Agnel to stand trial on rape, sexual assault charges

By Canadian Press on January 15, 2026.

PARIS (AP) — French Olympic swimming champion Yannick Agnel will stand trial on charges of rape and sexual assault over allegations involving the daughter of his former coach, the prosecutor general’s office in Colmar said Thursday.

The prosecutor general confirmed that the investigative chamber of the Colmar appeals court ordered Agnel, 33, to be sent to the assize court in the Haut-Rhin department.

The girl was 13 at the time of the alleged acts, according to the prosecutor general’s office, which said Agnel has 10 days to appeal to France’s top court, the Court of Cassation.

Agnel’s legal representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Agnel won two gold medals at the 2012 London Olympics — in the 200-meter freestyle and the 4×100-meter freestyle relay — and retired in 2016.

He was first arrested in December 2021 and at the time admitted to a relationship with an underage girl but denied coercion.

The Associated Press

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