Noé Ponti has caught up with the wave of winning, and now he has no intention of stopping. Noé might be just 23, but at the 2024 World Aquatics Swimming World Cup, he was nothing short of legendary. On his World Cup journey, he first created history in Shanghai. He got back into the pool for the 50m butterfly. Ponti went on to clock 21.67. Thus creating a new World Record!

Soon after, Ponti won gold in the 100m fly. He beat Nyls Korstanje by clocking 48.40. But what makes this win a whole lot more interesting is the fact that it comes after his dismal Paris Olympics time. During Paris races, Ponti ended up 4th in the 100m butterfly and 5th in the 200m butterfly. The 200m butterfly is the same race that Léon Marchand went on to win gold in. However, Marchand has been caught slacking at the Worlds. As the trials of Icheon come to an end, Ponti has taken down Marchand from the rankings!

Noé Ponti beats Léon Marchand!

The pools of Incheon have closed for the World Championships, and before the competition moves to Singapore, one major thing stands to change the rankings! As of the last day in Korea, Noé Ponti is the top scorer. He has a total of 58.2 points. Whereas the four-time Olympic gold medalist Léon Marchand is second with a total of 58.1 points. As Ponti himself puts it, “It is the first time that I have won a leg of the World Cup.”

It is also the first time since the beginning of the season that Marchand has fallen from grace. However, the downfall has created something great for Ponti. “It could not get better than this. I am having fun racing these guys,” added Ponti. So, how did he beat Marchand on the charts? There were two major unfortunate moments from Marchand. One was his inability to have a clear win in the 100m IM. The second is that Marchand did not even qualify for the 100m freestyle heat. During the heats, Marchand clocked 47.46.

The time was 0.04 seconds slower than the qualifying time. And this might just have given Ponti the space he needs to win. Noé Ponti even acknowledged the advantage that put him on top. “If I had not tied with Léon in the 100m individual medley, I am not sure I would have won this title,” he added. In a rare moment of history, as Ponti mentioned, both he and Marchand went on to clock 51.00 at the Worlds. But none of these seem to truly matter. While the medals have established Ponti in the swimming charts, he does not do it for the medals.

Ponti swims for something greater!

As Noé Ponti himself puts it, “Money and hard work are not as important as enjoying what we do. I don’t know what I will do with the money—maybe savings, but I may invest it in my house.” There you have it, folks. To Ponti, this is all about the love for the sport. But let’s look at the monetary aspect he is talking about as well. Being on top of the chart comes with certain perks! In Incheon alone, Ponti has earned a solid $12,000. While Léon Marchand will be receiving $10,000. But the financial perks don’t stop there.

At each stop of the World Cup, swimmers can compete in multiple events of their choice. That’s old news, but the top three scores at each stop will go into the overall ranking. At the end of it all awaits $100,000 for the top swimmer. And if that wasn’t enough, the top eight swimmers will also draw from a pool of $262,000. While Ponti is not concerned with the finances, there is something big ahead of him. So, what are Noe Ponti’s plans for Singapore? The World Cup will see its final leg in Singapore.

Here, Noé Ponti will be seen in the 200m Freestyle and 200m Medley. And he just might have an advantage over Léon Marchand yet again. Marchand going in has two weaknesses. One is that, after his long six-week break, his training has not sufficed for the Worlds. And the insufficiency is showing. And secondly, he has lost his Bob Bowman element, and the fandom sees that, too. As Marchand refines his training back in Toulouse, Ponti might just have the advantage he needs to push through and top the charts again. The stage is set once again, and the countdown to Singapore has begun!