French swimmer Léon Marchand captured the gold medal in the 400-meter individual medley at the Paris 2024 Olympics, setting an Olympic record with a time of 4:02.95.
Advertisement
The performance took place before a packed crowd at the Paris La Défense Arena, where fans cheered in French colors, creating an electrifying atmosphere for Marchand’s historic swim.
Marchand’s time broke the previous Olympic record set by Michael Phelps and was just shy of the world record, which Marchand himself holds.
“I think it’s a dream for every one of us,” Marchand said, reflecting on his achievement. “I got the chance to do it today. That was amazing. I don’t know how to describe it.”
Advertisement
| Credit: AP
Moments before the race, the crowd erupted in spontaneous renditions of “La Marseillaise” and chants of “Léon, Léon, Léon!”
The enthusiastic support was palpable throughout the race, with fans rhythmically cheering as Marchand excelled in the breaststroke segment.
The victory marked France’s first swimming gold since 2012. Japanese swimmer Tomoyuki Matsushita took silver, while Carson Foster from Cincinnati won bronze.
Marchand, 22, trained under Michael Phelps’ coach Bob Bowman at Arizona State. He is also set to compete in the 200 IM, 200 butterfly, and 200 breaststroke during the Games.
Leave a Reply