It was expected, but actually seeing it happen felt almost unreal. It’s about Leon Marchand’s incredible victory. He lit up the Paris Olympics last month with a jaw-dropping double gold performance, winning both the 200m breaststroke and 200m butterfly. The crowd went wild! First, he pulled off a stunning late charge in the 200m fly, and then, just under two hours later, he powered through the 200m breaststroke with unbelievable stamina. It was one of those moments that left everyone in awe.

Marchand achieved gold medals in both the 200-meter butterfly and 200-meter breaststroke events at the Olympics—a feat that no other swimmer has accomplished before him at the same Games season of competition. Adding to his glory is his triumph in the 400-meter medley at the beginning of the Olympics event series.

With a track record of winning five world championship titles under his belt so far, he has now ascended to the status of a revered national icon. What makes this achievement more impressive is that he managed to outshine his standing competitor, Kristof Milak. Surprising, right? Even Florent Manaudou was amazed, and he recently expressed just how impressed he was with Marchand’s performance.

French swimmer Florent Manaudou himself won bronze in Paris. However, he recently shared his thoughts on Leon Marchand’s performance during an interview with SwimSwam on YouTube. In the video titled “How Sprint Star Florent Manaudou Medaled in the 50 Free at 4 Different Olympic Games,” Manaudou expressed his amazement at Marchand’s ability to outshine Kristof Milak, saying, “I knew that Leon would be fast, but to perform like this in this pool in this moment, this is like, uh, this is for me, the thing that impressed me the most.”

Well, in the 200m breaststroke, Marchand touched the wall in 2 minutes, 5.85 seconds, setting a new Olympic record and clocking the second-fastest time ever. But the race that everyone will remember is his 200m butterfly. In that race, world record holder and defending champion Kristof Milak of Hungary led most of the way, but Marchand delivered a turn on the final lap, gaining just enough momentum to catch Milak midway through the final stretch.

Witnessing it firsthand, Florent Manaudou, who was Merchand’s teammate in the 4*100m relay in Paris, shared in an interview, “I mean, I knew that you would swim both finals, but I was like, Kristof Milak against him? It’s, it’s not easy, you know. The 200 breast I was quite confident about, but I thought he would be second in the 200 fly and, uh, first in the 200 fly and, uh, first in the 200 breaststroke.” Even Manaudou, with all his experience, was blown away by how Marchand exceeded expectations.

However, with all that success comes its own set of challenges. Many athletes experience post-Olympic depression, as we’ve seen with Suni Lee, Michael Phelps, and Simone Biles. So, what about Leon? Did he face similar struggles?

What’s next for Leon Marchand as he sets his sights high?

Leon Marchand put in a massive amount of physical energy to snag four individual gold medals at La Defense Arena, but let’s not forget the mental toll of competing at the Olympics. So, it totally makes sense that he took a well-deserved break to recharge and not face any post-Olympic depression or exertion. But now, after the six-week break, he’s feeling refreshed. And guess what? Marchand is back to compete in upcoming World Cup stops in Asia, followed by the World Short Course Championships in Budapest this December.

While in Toulouse, Marchand is working closely with Castel, who played a key role in his journey to becoming an Olympic star. Castel guided him to the final of the 400-meter individual medley at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and he’s still in touch with Bob Bowman, Marchand’s coach at Arizona State University. After Budapest, Marchand will reunite with Bowman in Austin, where he now leads the renowned program at the University of Texas.

We all saw how versatile Marchand was during the Olympics. He dominated the 200 IM, 400 IM, 200 breaststroke, and 200 butterfly, taking gold in all four. Plus, he helped France snag a bronze in the 400m-medley relay. His talent extends beyond the Olympics; he set NCAA records in the 200 and 500 freestyle, proving he can excel in various events.

Bowman emphasized just how much potential Marchand has, saying, “I don’t think he’s anywhere near what he’s capable of doing. I think there are definitely things that he can change and continue to develop over time and in the next four years. I think there’s plenty of room for him to go fast.” With some tweaks in technique and strength, he’s poised to achieve even greater things in the coming years. What is your take on it?