Lucien Morand

SUI Switzerland · Unified specialist · Active 1931–1937

1World titles

4Finals

3Medals

1593Indoor Eloinactive

—Best PRL

Winner of the first FIMP World Championship, held on Lake Geneva at Vevey in 1931.

The story

From Vevey, Switzerland · Era Unified era · Style The Lifeguard's Line

The first champion

Lucien Morand was a lifeguard on the Vevey lakefront and one of Émile Brasset's original pupils. He won the first World Championship in 1931 on his home water, beating a 19-year-old Hendrika Valkhof in the final.

Rivalry

Morand never beat Valkhof again. He finished second to her in 1935 and made his last final in 1937. He retired to coach the Swiss team, and Swiss Marco Polo still teaches “the lifeguard's line”: patrolling the middle of the pool in straight lanes rather than chasing sounds.

“I was the first champion. Hennie was the first great one.”Lucien Morand

Rivals

Hendrika “Hennie” Valkhof NED: The Lake and the Harbour. Head-to-head over 4 shared championships: Morand 1, Valkhof 3. Rivalries →

Elo rating history

Profile

Hawk-Ear profile data is available from 2011 onwards.

World Championship results

Year	Disc.	Round	Place	Tags	Calls	CPT	Evasion s	PRL ms	BE °	Splash	FOW
1931	Unified	Final	1st	11	—	—	141.6	—	—	—	1
1933	Unified	Final	3	10	—	—	116.8	—	—	—	1
1935	Unified	Final	2	11	—	—	135.8	—	—	—	3
1937	Unified	Final	6	8	—	—	114.9	—	—	—	5

Statistics are shown from the year each measurement began: calls 1974, PRL 2003, Bearing Error and Splash Entropy 2011. See the glossary.