At the París La Défense Arena, Léon Marchand proved his mettle as a swimming prodigy amidst a raucous home crowd. The 22-year-old looked like he was meant for the Olympic pool. Given that his parents, Xavier Marchand and Céline Bonnet, were medley swimmers, it comes naturally to him. However, despite always having a connection to the sport, the wunderkind has hit a few roadblocks over the years. 

In his first TV appearance after the Summer Games on Clique TV’s Léon Marchand: le grand débrief des JO – CANAL+, the 4x Olympic gold medalist opens up about one of his biggest predicaments with the sport. “I didn’t know that there was no money in this environment because it’s not publicized enough. We don’t sell products when you’re a swimmer; you have the wetsuit, but it’s not really a visible sponsor,” he confessed.

Léon Marchand stated that this has led to a domino effect. This has resulted in a smaller audience for the sport. He continued, “So, in fact, the people who earn their living, you have to be the best.” While there’s nothing better than clinching a shiny gold for yourself, the 22-year-old pulled the curtain on why it really mattered. “But as soon as you come in second, it’s very complicated to earn a living in swimming,” the Olympian exclaimed.

The swimmer has continued to shine in the pool throughout the NCAA swimming season and the recently concluded Paris Olympics. He consistently racked up the top spot. But now, the 22-year-old set his sights on the Swimming World Cup 2024 in October and November. The championships boast a total prize fund of $672,000. In fact, the winner can take away as much as $12,000, while the 20th place will receive $4,000. 

But this isn’t it! Every contestant can snag a few additional prizes at the championships. Based on the rankings on the leaderboard, 8 swimmers could grab anywhere between $100,000 and $10,000. And if that wasn’t enough, if anyone breaks a world record or claims a triple crown, they could walk away with an additional $10,000. It sounds like this is right up Léon Marchand’s alley, doesn’t it? However, while he has the championship to look forward to, the sport has brought one significant change for him. What could it be?

Swimming means a lot more than just accolades to Léon Marchand

It’s hard to imagine that the Olympian almost abandoned his love for the sport, right? But the wunderkind wanted to quit at 7 because the water was too cold for him. He believed that his skinny frame wouldn’t fare well in the pool. However, when the swimmer eventually found his way back to the sport, he confessed how it changed him. 

“As an introvert, it wasn’t easy because we say a lot of faults in general about shy people and introverts,” Léon Marchand stated. Even though it seemed difficult at first, things soon took a turn. “For me, it came through my sport because, in fact, I was less smiling when I arrived at training, and I tried to swim, but I had more fun.” We even saw a little glimpse of his personality shine through at the Paris Olympics. 

The Olympian continued, “It’s not just with sport, but in any case, sport has helped me and allowed me to be able to express myself.” The 22-year-old opened up about finding it easy to love himself more and more as time went by. He even reiterated how this process has been slow and took a lot of work. 

Léon Marchand also revealed another pro of his journey. “I think that a lot of young people, in my opinion, identify a little with me.” This helped him realize there’s more to the sport than what meets the eye. “I wanted to send this message because I’m shy, I’m reserved, but I can—I’m an ordinary guy, but I can do great things.” Even though the sport has its ups and downs, the Olympian looks forward to paving his own path. Will you be watching?