Leon Marchand: France’s Rising Star in Paris Olympics 2024 Swimming

You couldn’t have staged Léon Marchand’s coronation any better.

Last week in Paris, a positive and occasionally unstable home audience announced the young Frenchman with a mop of blond hair. He was recognized as the next great name in worldwide Olympic swimming.

Leon Marchand, 22, had yet to win a gold medal before the Summer Games. He has now won four individual gold medals in a single Olympics, a feat previously held only by two Americans, Mark Spitz and Michael Phelps.

Marchand surpassed the Olympic record with each victory this week, including his most recent on Friday night when he raised four fingers to celebrate.

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“It was unbelievable,” Marchand said of his last solo effort in the men’s 200-meter individual freestyle final at the La Defense venue in a Paris suburb. “Once again, the crowd cheered. It was my final individual race at these Games, so I told myself I had to have a good time.”

To say the people cheered is an understatement of the cultural moment Leon Marchand has created here. Some French are nervous about the decision to hold the Olympics in Paris, but Marchand fever dominates the city.

Taxi drivers speak about him. Teenagers fall for him. When he runs, everything stops in restaurants, and all eyes are drawn to screens broadcasting his achievements.

Marchand fans have filled the swimming venue here. Following each of his achievements, hundreds of people chanted loud renditions of La Marseillaise, the National Anthem of France.

Marchand is set to swim again on Sunday in a team relay final, where another gold medal is a real possibility.

One exciting aspect of Marchand’s climb to prominence in France is that America’s long-dominant swimming system has heavily influenced his performance. This influence has played a significant role in his success.

Marchand spends most of his time in the United States, where he formerly competed for Arizona State University in the NCAA.

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After her race on Friday, American swimmer Regan Smith expressed respect for the Frenchman’s skill. She frequently works alongside Leon Marchand.

“I’ve had a chance to share a lane with him during practice for the better half of two years,” Smith informed the crowd. “I’ve seen what he can accomplish every day in practice.

He certainly has it physically and is tremendously gifted. But what differentiates him from everyone else is what he has right here [in his head]. It is unlike anyone I have ever met. He has this It factor, this Je ne sais quois. “He knows how to get things done.”

Notably, Leon Marchand trained by Bob Bowman, a famous American swimming coach who helped develop Michael Phelps’ skills. Earlier this week, Bowman told reporters that Marchand had emerged as one of the all-time greats in Paris.

“I rank him at the very top right now,” Bowman said of Marchand. “He’s got speed and stamina. “He hasn’t even reached his full potential.”

When asked how it feels to teach a breakout star who won Olympic gold for France, Bowman smiled and said, “I’m still red, white, and blue in my heart.”

After his victory on Friday, Leon Marchand stated that he intends to continue training with Bowman as he prepares for the next Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

“We had fantastic times here. We’ve been working hard for the past three years. I am unsure how to go with the next phase of my athletic career. I believe (Bowman) will be of great assistance to me because he is pretty knowledgeable in this area.

Leon Marchand responded that it is an honor when asked about compared to American Michael Phelps, who has 28 Olympic medals in his career, 23 of which are gold. “Of course, he is a legend of the swimming world—and he will always be.”