Léon Marchand made his much-anticipated debut at the 2020 Tokyo Games. Unfortunately, he missed out on the podium in every event he contested. However, the swimmer did reach the semifinals of the 200-meter butterfly and settled for a sixth-place finish in the 400-meter IM. But there’s just something about swimming in your homeland!

Something felt different about the swimmer in Paris. He seemed more determined and confident. Maybe that’s why he dominated the Olympic pool and snagged 5 medals while shattering 4 Olympic records. With the help of Michael Phelps’ former coach, Bob Bowman, the Marchand Mania was as prevalent as ever. After his Parisian stint, the 22-year-old appeared in his first TV appearance with Clique TV. However, it looks like his interview might have been hijacked by X user Onsenfouwallah.

In a parody video of the interview, Léon Marchand made a shocking confession. “Nobody knows, but I can’t swim, which is surprising.” It is said in jest, but could you believe that was true? After a golden sweep in the French capital, the Olympian shares his secret sauce. “In fact, I attached boat propellers from the bottom of my ankle to my shoulders,” he confessed. But a sudden malfunction might have helped him claim his wins. 

“I had bad adjustments and suddenly, it was turning super fast. It made an incredible vibration underwater,” the swimmer added. That’s what helped him take the lead in most of the races. But if it wasn’t for this one factor, things could have gone very differently. “I was pulled by a rope, and without that, I would have sunk,” he humorously added. We know what you’re wondering. Could he possibly break any rules with the additional help? 

Don’t worry. Léon Marchand addressed that concern too. He exclaimed, “That’s the maximum speed of a yacht. So I felt like I was going too fast because it’s illegal for the federation.” Luckily for him and us, no one noticed this contraption during the Games. But all jokes aside, what he did on his home turf was not for the faintest of hearts. To recuperate from the excitement, the swimmer decided to kick his legs back up. However, he couldn’t wait to return to contention and has been competing in the 2024 World Aquatics Swimming World Cup. How is that going for him? 

Léon Marchand’s rise and fall at the 2024 swimming world cup

After his stellar run at the Paris Olympics, many fans looked forward to him bringing that magic to the World Cup. At Shanghai, the 22-year-old won 3 out of 4 of his races. He clinched gold in the 100m individual medley with 50.65s and continued that momentum on day 2. With 1:50.30s in the 200m individual medley, France’s Golden Boy shattered the World Cup, French, and European records. He snagged his final gold in the 400m individual with a blistering 4:00.03, shattering another French record.

But this is where things take a turn for the worse. With a shocking time of 2:02.99s, Léon Marchand didn’t just miss out on gold. But he had to settle for a fourth-place finish. In a post-race interview, the Olympian opened up about how difficult it has been. “My legs were cooked, they were dead.” He didn’t anticipate how hard it would be to resume contesting after the Paris Olympics. “I’m pushing my body, and it’s been a real test racing all of these guys. But that’s what we are here for,” the swimmer added. 

As the dust settled on the competitions in Shanghai, the Olympian was on top of the table with 58.3 points. As he headed to Korea, could he repeat the same results in the pool? On day 1, he locked horns with Noe Ponti. While the duo were separated by 0.01 seconds in the first stop, that wasn’t the case in Incheon. In the 100m individual medley, both swimmers touched the wall in a blistering 51.00 seconds. With just one event on day 1, it was now time for two more races on day 2. 

However, fans were surprised the day had in store for them. He was supposed to contest in the 100m freestyle event, but in the prelims, all he could muster up was 47.46s on the clock. What did that mean? The Olympian was 0.04-hundredths of a second away from the final berth. As a result, he didn’t compete in the finals. In the 200m individual medley, he was back at the top with a blistering 1:50.30, slightly slower than his time in Shanghai. The 22-year-old has constantly proven his mettle in the pool, but it’s nice to know he has a sense of humor too.