LA JOLLA, Calif. – Chloe Braun became a French Elite National Champion after placing first in the 100-meter breaststroke in St. Etienne, France. The recent UC San Diego graduate competed amongst top French competitors in the 100-meter breaststroke on Saturday, June 28, and the 50-meter breaststroke on Thursday, July 2.

Braun was seeded first after preliminaries Saturday morning, going on to capture the event with a 1:08.31, a lifetime best.

Following the win, Braun competed again in the 50-meter, placing third. She swam a 31.56, only .45 behind first place.

It was a high stakes meet, as Braun earned herself a spot on the French national team, selected at the French Elite Championships Thursday, July 2. The breaststroke swimmer qualified as the 100-meter breaststroke leg of the 400 medley relay, which she will compete in on August 16 in Paris.

Beyond competition this summer, Braun is looking towards training and qualifying for the 2028 Olympic Games. In hopes of being on the French team for LA28, it was necessary Braun qualified internationally at least two years before, which she did with her win. Braun has her sights set for next year on qualifying for Worlds. She will train in France with her club team, St-Denis, for the next two years preparing for international competition.

Braun had high emotions, as this was her last nationals after her four years at UC San Diego. "I don't think I ever felt this level of pain at the end of a race, but it was very much worth it!" Braun stated about her performance. Head coach Marko Djordjevic accompanied Braun to nationals allowing them to "finish the cycle together."

In the 2025 French Elite Championship, Braun placed third, with a 1:08.53, in the 100-meter breaststroke and second, with a 31.55, in the 50-meter breaststroke. She missed qualifying for last year's European Championships by seconds, making this year's her first national team selection and her first international meet.

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After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program has begun a new era as a member of The Big West in NCAA Division I. The 24-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 84 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have garnered prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in NCAA Division I or II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.