Léon Marchand continues to impress the swimming world with his remarkable performances ahead of the Paris Olympic Games, scheduled from July 26 to August 11. Recently, the French prodigy participated in a competition in Irvine, California, showcasing his talent in several disciplines and signaling his readiness for the upcoming French Championships in Chartres, an essential event on the Olympic road.
Over three days of competition, Marchand exhibited outstanding form. He took second place in the 100m backstroke with a time of 54.55 seconds, significantly improving his previous best of 55.32 seconds from October. Although he was bested by Hungarian Hubert Kos, the reigning world champion in the 200m backstroke, Marchand's performance was nonetheless commendable.
Marchand's week was filled with successes. On Saturday, he clinched victory in the 100m butterfly with a time of 52.56 seconds, just shy of his personal best of 52.42 seconds. The day before, he stunned the field in the 100m breaststroke, achieving a world-class time of 59.06 seconds—nearly two seconds faster than his previous benchmark from the 2023 French Championships. This feat marked the first time he broke the one-minute barrier in the 100m breaststroke, moving closer to the French record held by Hugues Duboscq.
In addition to his stellar individual performances, Marchand delivered a strong showing in the 200m medley, finishing in 1:55.74, his third-best time in the event. This performance aligns with the times he recorded during his world title wins in the same discipline in 2022 and 2023.
However, the weekend was not without setbacks. Marchand faced disqualification in the 100m freestyle for a technical infringement, despite recording a personal best of 50.43 seconds in a race he seldom competes in.
In the lead-up to the Paris Olympics, Marchand's achievements signal his readiness. Having already secured three titles at last year's Fukuoka World Championships—dominating the 200m and 400m medleys and the 200m butterfly, while also setting a world record in the 400m medley formerly held by Michael Phelps—confidence in his potential remains high.
- Léon Marchand also celebrated his 22nd birthday last week, capping off a period of intense training and competition across the United States. In March, he was crowned university champion in Indianapolis with his Arizona State college team. Later, in mid-April, he triumphed in the 200m butterfly and 400m medley at the San Antonio meeting before heading to a training camp in Colorado.
- Marchand's participation in the Irvine competition likely marks his final event in the U.S. before his return to France for the national championships in Chartres, taking place from June 16 to 21. These championships will serve as qualifiers for the Paris 2024 Olympics, where Marchand aims to compete in multiple events, including the 200m and 400m medleys, 200m butterfly, 200m breaststroke, and various relays.
