Entering his second Olympic berth, Léon Marchand was touted as a promising contender. His countrymen and women hoped he would clinch at least one Olympic medal. However, the 22-year-old shocked the swimming community. He went on to snag 5 Olympic medals at the París La Défense Arena. But here’s the kicker! He clinched 4 golds while breaking the Olympic record amid a thundering cheer of “Allez Léon.” After a thrilling stint on his home turf, the Olympian decided to take a break from it all.

But he’s back now, and the swimmer appeared on the Léon Marchand: Le roi des bassins fait sa Masterclass. While talking about his journey, the conversation naturally deviated to his family. His father, Xavier Marchand, is the vice-world champion of the 200 m in 1998 and a finalist in the Atlanta and Sydney games. The host asked him what the experience was like growing up with someone like him.“What did you learn?” 

Léon Marchand reiterated how he has always wanted to be like his father. “I think that at the beginning, he didn’t really want me to nig because entry is not necessarily the most fun sport, but he did it. So, he knew all the sacrifices to achieve hundredths of a second, which are not necessarily the most profitable.” Their shared passion for the sport has helped him develop his love for the sport. “Taking a lot of pleasure in what I do every day, getting up in the morning with a smile,” the swimmer stated. But this feeling isn’t new for the 22-year-old. 

The swimmer’s parents have been Olympians too. However, that was one of the many reasons his father wasn’t too keen on him pursuing the sport. But when the Olympian decided to pursue it, Xavier Marchand chose to speak about his concerns. “He taught me a lot. My father he still teaches me. Besides, I think that already my education, humility, the fact of wanting to do what we love.”

Léon Marchand continued, “In the end, it was me who loved what he had. That’s what he had to doing the pool so I went there by myself, but there is always a lot of advice.” His father helped guide him throughout the 2020 Tokyo Summer Games. “He knew that the games are a big party. So, it is difficult to be focused on our performances, so we talked a lot about that.” Even when the 22-year-old stepped into Paris, the pressure was a lot more than in Tokyo, but his father was by his side. His coach, Bob Bowman, also mistook him for the Olympian the first time they interacted. 

Léon Marchand’s had a dream, and it involved Bob Bowman

The swimmer has another iconic man in his corner. While he might be France’s Golden Boy now, at one point, he sent a cold email to Bob Bowman. You heard that right! He reached out to Michael Phelps’ former coach. And he wasn’t expecting a response back. But when Bowman read the name in his inbox, the first person that came to his mind was none other than Xavier Marchand. “I thought about his dad. I wonder if they are related, and they were, of course.” 

Léon Marchand asked if he would consider having him on his team, and the rest is history. He was recently asked if the experience was different being coached outside the country. “Yes. American coaches are really committed. I’ve seen him running around the pool. It’s his whole life. He’s full-on committed to what we’re doing,” he stated. Seeing how he previously trained the Flying Fish, we’re not surprised either. 

However, the cultural shock went further when he realized they weren’t allowed to put in more than 25 hours a week. So, how does Bob Bowman work around this? “He really fills the two-hour sessions well, and there isn’t much recovery time,” the 22-year-old confessed. But these sessions shone through during his stellar stint at the French capital. 

Léon Marchand added another feather to Bowman’s cap by catapulting the veteran coach to an Icon and Leader in Sports Illustrated’s 2024 Powerlist. Pat Forde described his excellence perfectly with his blurb. “If the United Nations of Bowman had been its own entry in Paris, its seven golds, three silvers, and one bronze would have been third in the swimming medal table, behind only the U.S. and Australia.” 

Could you imagine that? However, having two Titans backing him up has truly helped the swimmer shine.