Not For Breaking Michael Phelps Record, But Another Decisive Step From Swimmer Leon Marchand Can Amplify Gains As Per Former NCAA Star Kyle Sockwell

Leon Marchand let the f-bomb out in public and now he is being praised for the same! While the general consensus would be to shy away from the controversy, Kyle Sockwell does not follow the set pattern. Being an NCAA star for Arizona, Sockwell experienced the void in swimming and decided to bring it mainstream.

Thus, he has advocated significantly on how to expand the viewership and thus ranked Marchand’s f-word over him breaking Michael Phelps‘ record. This exact thought process of Kyle Sockwell aligned with Leon Marchand when Marchand was unapologetically himself. Such a response from the French swimmer invoked the interest of Sockwell and now he’s advocating for more athletes to step into Marchand’s shoes! 

Kyle Sockwell advocates for unfiltered athlete culture 

He said, “(Léon) has already had one situation where he’s let a word slip on an interview, and it blew up… (Swimmers) not trying to filter themselves is what I think will really take the sport to the next level. Sure, Léon breaking Phelps’ record was huge, but I would argue that him being himself in interviews and teaching the younger generation of athletes that they can be themselves in interviews (is equally important).”

For the uninitiated, Marchand shocked the world as he broke Michael Phelps’ 400m world record of 4:03.84. Clocking an incredible 4:02.50, the Arizona State swimmer created history at the 400m IM in Fukuoka in 2023. However, it was his interview immediately after that created ripples. Expressing his disbelief, Marchand said, “I was not sure… what the f*ck is happening.” 

Stressing on how unfiltered the 21-year-old was, Sockwell stated that more athletes should follow the practice. He believes that such a practice would help the swimmers build their brand and attract big-money sponsorships or endorsements for them. However, this was not all. Echoing the sentiments of Kyle Sockwell, Bob Bowman proposed some interesting plans to make the crowd interested in swimming. 

Bob Bowman looks to make college swimming more fan friendly 

While college football and basketball have reached the heights of success, the same cannot be said while it comes to NCAA swimming. With the ASU dual meets coming up, there are a few permutations and combinations that Bob Bowman wants to try. Speaking of the same, he said, “We are trying to change the order of events, change the way that the events are presented, and have more things that are fan-friendly and more interactive.” 

Read More: “Swimming Is What I Do, Not Who I Am”: Michael Phelps Now Has an AI Version of Himself, Constantly Reminding Him of His True Identity

Bowman also stressed on the fact how important a full house stadium is for the growth of the sport. He envisions that going forward in the future, an average of 2500 to 3000 fans turning up for college events would set a great example for the overall expansion of the sport. 

Continue to Read: “OK Dude, if You Really Have Common Sense…”: Michael Phelps Couldn’t Believe Fans Getting Angry With Him for Faking a Nearly Impossible Stunt