Yannick Agnel admitted to a relationship with the underage girl but denied any coercion.
19:57, 15 Jan 2026
French Olympic swimmer Yannick Agnel is set to face trial over allegations of rape and sexual assault involving the 13-year-old daughter of his former coach, according to the prosecutor general's office in Colmar.
The Colmar appeals court's investigative chamber has ordered the 33-year-old to stand trial, as he was an adult at the time of the alleged offences. Agnel has 10 days to challenge the decision at France's highest court, the Court of Cassation.
Agnel was initially arrested in December 2021. He admitted to a relationship with the underage girl but denied any coercion.
The alleged incidents date back to 2016, when the girl was 13 and Agnel 24, and are said to have occurred in multiple locations including Mulhouse, Rio de Janeiro during the Olympics, Spain, and Thailand, French judicial officials said.
Agnel, a two-time gold medallist at the 2012 London Olympics in the 200m freestyle and 4x100m freestyle relay, retired from competitive swimming in 2016.
France's 2021 law now classifies sexual activity with anyone under 15 as rape, punishable by up to 20 years in prison, aligning the country with many other Western nations.