Leon Marchand has been dominating the swimming world since Paris 2024, with what’s being called “Marchand-mania.” The French swimmer has been breaking records and setting new Olympic bests, surpassing the likes of Zac Stubblety-Cook, Kristof Milak, and Michael Phelps in the men’s 200m breaststroke, 200m butterfly, 200m IM, and 400m IM. Notably, Marchand became the first male swimmer to win four gold medals in a single Olympics, directly challenging the legendary feats of Michael Phelps.

Behind Leon Marchand’s remarkable success is the guidance of a familiar name—Bob Bowman. Best known for coaching the legendary Michael Phelps, Bowman has now replicated his success with Marchand, who is threatening to give his former star pupil a run for his money. However, Marchand’s journey was far from easy in the beginning. Born into a swimming family, it seemed only natural for young Leon to dive into the pool early on. Despite this head start, he encountered numerous challenges along the way.

Leon Marchand unafraid to take on new challenges

Leon Marchand’s early swimming days were marked by struggles, including bullying due to his skinny frame. Feeling discouraged, he almost turned away from the sport. However, his Olympian parents, Celine Bonnet and Xavier Marchand, stepped in, gradually helping him adapt to the challenges of elite-level swimming. While Leon saw some success early in his career, he eventually hit a roadblock. Despite trying everything he could, he couldn’t overcome it. It was during this difficult time that Leon had an idea—why not reach out to Michael Phelps’ legendary coach, Bob Bowman, for guidance?

Despite knowing how tall the task was, Leon and his team drew inspiration from Jamel Debou. Looking back on his decision to pursue Bowman, the Olympic gold medalist said on Clique TV, “There was indeed Bob Bowman, Michael Phelps’ coach, we said to ourselves why not send a message, we have nothing to lose… it was excellent, what does it sound like Jamel Debou’s sentence, if you have no chance, do you know exactly, forget that you have no chance, go for it.” He further detailed that the moment he sent the email, Bowman took just 5-10 minutes to respond to his request. And much like a dream come true, Bowman’s answer was yes! 

But in order to get the services of Bob Bowman, Leon Marchand had to leave his country. That included leaving his parents, especially his father, with whom he shared a special bond. Leon stated that at the moment, he was in a state of paranoia. He admitted having a sense of burnout where his training did not feel exciting. Leon also mentioned that he dealt with immense pressure to obtain satisfactory results and constantly crumbled to meet the fans’ expectations. Luckily, the Olympic gold medalist did take the leap of faith and landed in the US. This acted as a boon and transformed Leon’s career completely. To quote the champion himself, he felt “human again”. But his association with Bob Bowman also had significant flaws. 

Leon Marchand details gruesome training regime

Leon Marchand is undoubtedly the biggest name in swimming at the moment, but his success comes from an intense routine built on immense discipline. In a recent episode of the podcast on Clique TV, Marchand gave a glimpse into his demanding schedule. When he revealed that he trains for 35 hours a week, the host was taken aback. Asked how this grueling regimen affects him, Marchand candidly admitted that he didn’t have much time to talk, so he couldn’t fully explain its impact on him. His dedication, though, speaks volumes about the discipline behind his triumphs.

However, Leon also stated that such rigorous training is also a very important part of his growth as a swimmer. The champion swimmer knew that once in the waters with his opponents, Leon was all alone. Speaking about his socialization, Leon stated that he did not have enough time to get out and bond with friends. Thus, even with a strict schedule, Leon Marchand is slowly ascending to the elite level, aspiring to overtake Michael Phelps as the swimming GOAT of the modern era.