French Swimmer Léon Marchand Chases World Record in Thrilling 400 IM Performance

NANTERRE, France — Léon Marchand clinched a swimming gold for France with a dominant performance in the men’s 400-meter individual medley Sunday night. The event saw a flag-waving crowd of more than 15,000 fans at the La Defense Arena sing “La Marseillaise” in anticipation.

Marchand, 22, surged ahead immediately as he surfaced from the water and maintained his lead, essentially racing against the clock. He completed the race in 4 minutes, 2.95 seconds, an Olympic record but just shy of his world mark of 4:02.50.

Guided by American Bob Bowman, the same coach behind Michael Phelps’ 23 Olympic gold medals, Marchand has drawn inevitable comparisons to the swimming legend. Phelps was in the arena, analyzing the race for NBC’s broadcast team.

The victory was not just a personal milestone for Marchand but a memorable moment for the host nation, as he fulfills the high expectations placed on him. Marchand, who trained in the U.S. at Arizona State University, is poised to become one of the standout stars of the Paris Games.

Japan’s Tomoyuki Matsushita secured the silver medal, finishing nearly six seconds behind Marchand with a time of 4:08.62. American swimmer Carson Foster took the bronze, clocking in at 4:08.66. Defending champion Chase Kalisz from the U.S. was a surprise exit, failing to qualify for the finals.