It turns out that Léon Marchand’s comparison to Michael Phelps was not farfetched after all. Despite the pressure, the 22-year-old Frenchman did not let it get to him.
In front of a home crowd, Marchand achieved a remarkable double on Wednesday night by winning the 200-meter butterfly and the 200 breaststroke just two hours apart. These were two challenging races, requiring different strokes, and Marchand emerged victorious in both, setting new Olympic records and securing two gold medals.
This was a clear message to Phelps, who also accomplished many doubles while earning eight gold medals in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Marchand, who described himself as a shy person, credited the energy and support from the enthusiastic crowd for his success. His impressive performance in front of the French fans has solidified his position as one of the standout athletes of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
In the 200 fly, Marchand showed an incredible finishing kick to beat the world-record holder and defending Olympic champion, Kristóf Milák. He then went on to dominate the 200 breast, leading from start to finish and claiming the gold with a time of 2 minutes, 5.85 seconds. The crowd, which included many fans holding up cutouts of Marchand’s face, erupted in cheers for their champion. After his victory, Marchand quickly headed off to the practice pool, but was soon called back for the victory ceremony where he proudly sang along to the French national anthem.
In the men’s 200 breast, Marchand continued his dominance, setting another Olympic record and leaving the competition far behind. Australian Zac Stubblety-Cook settled for silver, while Casper Corbeau of the Netherlands claimed bronze. Marchand’s coach, American Bob Bowman, who also coached Phelps, expressed his pride and admiration for the French swimmer’s historic achievements.
