Watching Léon Marchand dominate the pool never gets old. The wunderkind blew the swimming community away with his stellar performances in the París La Défense Arena, and he hasn’t disappointed the masses in Shanghai either. If you haven’t been following the international swimming circuit, the 22-year-old is contesting in the 2024 World Aquatics Swimming World Cup. His stellar performances on days 1 and 2 were phenomenal.

But day 3 is finally here, and boy, oh boy, do we have a doozy for you! On October 20th, France’s Golden Boy returned to the pool for the 400m medley. The swimmer already boasted the world record in the event and has previously won the World Championships in 2022 and 2023. All he needed was an Olympic gold medal. But the 22-year-old clinched just that in an Olympic record time of 4:02:95 amid a thunderous cheer from his countrymen and women. Is there anything he can’t do?

Léon Marchand had been turning heads for the past two days. By touching the wall in 4:00.03, the Olympian had shattered yet another French record set in 2012 at 4:06.85 by Jérémy Stravius. Trailing behind him, the 4th-fastest man, Alberto Razzetti, settled in for second place with 4:01.51, while Lewis Clareburt completed the podium with 4:05.03 on the clock.

The swimmer took a much-needed break and had been away from the pool for over two months. But he’s back with a bang, and it has been nothing short of spectacular. Contesting in the 100m medley, all eyes were on the Frenchman. Many hoped he would weave that Parisian magic in the pool. To no one’s surprise, the Olympian touched the wall in 50.65 seconds, 0.1 seconds quicker than Noe Ponti. How did he do on day 2, you ask? 

Léon Marchand seemed to be his element, carrying the same energy he had from day 1 for the 200m medley. The swimming prodigy locked heads with Duncan Scott and Noe Ponti yet again. However, they weren’t quick enough to end his dominance. The 22-year-old clocked a blistering 1:50.30, effortlessly shattering the European, French, and World Cup records with a stellar gold medal-worthy performance. How do the fans feel about this?

Léon Marchand leaves the swimming community gob smacked with World Cup dominance

The atmosphere at the 2024 World Aquatics Swimming World Cup was as euphoric as ever. Sure, we haven’t heard the chants of “Allez Léon” like we did at the París La Défense Arena. But don’t you get Déjà vu watching the 22-year-old in the pool? We sure do. The swimmer has dominated 3 events over 3 days: 100m, 200m, and the 400m medleys. This impressive feat has sent his fans into a frenzy! 

One fan couldn’t help but marvel over his skills, stating, “At the rate he’s storming through competitions, Michael Phelps should be scared of Leon!! This guy will break all records Phelps ever had.” Could they be onto something? Another fan agreed, “One race = one French record (at worst) What an extraterrestrial Léon Marchand.” Marchand had done something similar at the Paris Olympics. So, we’re not too surprised the fans feel this way. 

The 22-year-old left the French capital with 5 Olympic medals in tow—4 gold and 1 bronze. But wait, it gets better! The wunderkind also shattered four Olympic records in Paris. During the 400m IM, the Frenchman touched the wall in 4:02.95 seconds. This broke the Baltimore Bullet’s record from the 2008 Summer Games of 4:03.84. Interestingly enough, this was also previously considered the world record before the Marchand shattered it in 4:02.50 at the 2023 World Championships. He also dropped another OR in the 200m IM with 1:54.06, taking down another one of Phelps’ records of 1:54.23 from 2008. Could these fans be onto something?

Le Parisien couldn’t help but celebrate his achievement, “Easy victory in the 400m medley and new French record for Léon Marchand. He is too strong 😅” Even though we’ve seen this before, it never gets old. Another fan seems to think that way too: “Man But Leon Marchand, what a king, this guy is on fire.” It looks like taking a hiatus from the pool couldn’t stop Léon Marchand either. 

The Olympian took a much-needed vacation after the Paris Olympics concluded. According to the swimmer, it helped him reflect upon his performance in the French capital. While he was happy for the time, he couldn’t wait to return to the pool and train again. “That’s what I’m thinking about the most. And we’re going to have to get back to work,” he stated. However, his long-time coach, Bob Bowman, wasn’t by his side, and one fan seemed to notice. 

A fan pointed out,“He never stops and he was without Bob Bowman, wasn’t he. True sensation”. Even though the veteran coach wasn’t present along the sidelines, the Marchand Mania refuses to slow down. Another fan agreed, “Third victory in three races in Shanghai for Léon Marchand! He won the 400m 4-swimming event with ease, clocking a pleasing 4:00.03, a new French record!” We understand why fans still feel giddy watching him recreate the Olympic magic here too.

Bob Bowman is busy settling in for his new role as head coach for the Texas Longhorns. But in the meantime, the wunderkind is currently training under Nicolas Castel. The duo had previously paired up as well. During the 2024 World Aquatics Swimming World Cup, the French Michael Phelps, as he is fondly known, left no stone unturned to prove his dominance across all three events. With 2 more legs left of the competition, we’re yet to see how the 22-year-old will fare. Do you agree with the fans?