Leon Marchand’s rise to popularity after the 2024 Paris Olympics has been much like his wins. Golden! But the French prodigy has admitted that his newfound stardom has also come with a price. The cost? Privacy. Imagine being so famous you hide behind sneaky attire to stop being recognized. For Leon Marchand, that is now a reality.

Lately, Leon has been covering himself up by donning caps and glasses to avoid being recognized. “I need to organize myself a little more. I can’t do my shopping alone. I wear a cap and glasses. I try to hide a little,” he confessed according to Inside the Games. Marchand, however, is not being ungrateful. “When people do stop me in the street, it’s to say ‘thank you.’ That’s kind, and I take it to my heart.”

It is not hard to understand how and why Leon Marchand has become a national hero in France. His Paris Olympics run was, to simply put it, ‘historic!’ Marchand casually stacked up four golds and became the fourth swimmer in Olympic history to win four individual gold medals at a single Games. It was almost as if winning was just second nature to Bob Bowman’s prodigy.

And if that wasn’t enough, he has already dethroned the legendary Michael Phelps by breaking his 200m freestyle Olympic record, clocking 1:54.06. After all that, it is no surprise why Marchand is being thanked on the streets. But as history tells us, fame is a double-edged sword. And the imagined sword has cut deep into Leon Marchand’s everyday life.

Gone are the days when he could casually walk around, eat out, or shop in peace. “I’m going to lose a little freedom and spontaneity because I can’t go out to restaurants like I used to anymore,” he said. “France has changed, and I hope it will last. Sport is something quite special. It conveys an emotion that you can’t have anywhere else, and the French realized this. We must continue to celebrate athletes.”

Fame is not the only thing changing for Leon Marchand

Life’s not just different because of medals and fame for Marchand. There has been a shake-up in his coaching, too! Marchand has traveled much of his swimming journey alongside the famous Bob Bowman. Yes, that’s right. Marchand is leaving behind Phelps’ coach after breaking Phelp’s record. Marchand will now be training with a new face, Nicolas Castel.

But hold your horses; it’s only temporary! The Marchand-Bowman bond is a legendary one. So, why the change? It turns out Bowman has decided to take on a new role. He’s now the head coach and director for the Texas Longhorns, leaving Marchand’s training in Castel’s hands. “We’re going to have to get back to work,” Marchand said, all set to jump back into training after a well-deserved vacation.

But don’t worry, Leon Marchand will be reuniting with Bob Bowman after the year ends. Until then, Castel’s steering the boat. Although Marchand is now behind caps and glasses, his talent cannot be hidden. As he continues to conquer both in and out of the pool, the world eagerly awaits to see what France’s golden boy will do next!