“It’s a lot for my system, so I’ll need to sleep well, eat a lot, and I’ll be ready,” vowed Leon Marchand, the Paris 2024 poster boy. The 22-year-old swimmer not only shattered the Olympic record in the 400m individual medley with a time of 4:02.95, but he also wowed the crowd at La Defense Arena. Just a night after Antoine Dupont set the Stade de France alight, Marchand delivered his own electrifying performance. 

His face now dominates Paris, with his image towering over the city on the 690ft Tour Montparnasse skyscraper. Fans can expect another red-hot atmosphere when Marchand races in the 200m butterfly and 200m breaststroke finals. Despite the pressure and hectic schedule, the support from his fans keeps him driven and ready for the spotlight.

French swimmer Leon Marchand got all hyped up after the fans’ support

In an interview at the AP News on July 31, 2024, the French “Poster Boy”, Leon Marchand, said with much gratitude, “The French crowd has been amazing for me, this venue’s been amazing. I’m just really lucky to be in good shape this week to swim as fast as possible.” After seeing a fan waving a sign that reads “Léon Marchand de reves,” translating to Léon Marchand of dreams. Marchand’s performance has certainly lived up to the dream-like expectations. His recent victories, including a record-breaking swim in the 400-meter individual medley, have captured the hearts of fans across France. 

With 2022 NCAA titles in the 200-yard breaststroke and 200-yard individual medley, he has etched an impressive collection of World Championships in his crown. In 2017, he won the French 200m butterfly title at just the age of 17. He was the first swimmer to go under four minutes and three seconds. “That was insane, one of the most painful things I’ve done. It was amazing to do it here, and the time is crazy,” Marchand said after the winning. After the recent 400m individual medley on Sunday, the 22-year-old Marchand pulled ahead in his race to finish in 4 minutes, 8.30 seconds, with some 15,000 fans at La Defense Arena cheering with every stroke. “It was a crazy thing,” Marchand said as everyone cheered him up. Just before the race started, fans broke out with a continuous chant, “Léon, Léon, Léon!” every time his head popped out of the water.

He ended up with the best time for breaststroke and was second fastest in the fly at 1:53.50, almost 1 second slower than the world-record holder Kristóf Milák from Hungary at 1:52.72. In response, Marchand told NBC News that the breaststroke race was “insane” and hearing the whole stadium call his name was extraordinary. After finishing the breaststroke semi in 2 minutes and 8.11 seconds, he is now focused on the upcoming events. “Four races is a lot for my system,” he said. “I’ve got to sleep a lot, eat a lot, and I’ll be ready for tomorrow night.” It indicates he is prepared to gain more medals, but he needs proper rest to return that energy. So, these constant fans’ positive reactions and consecutive wins have made this new record holder at swimming a stronger contender.

Leon Marchand’s legacy in the swimming world is set to shine in the Paris Olympics

Leon Marchand has always been in the spotlight because of his significant contribution to the world of swimming. His stellar performance continued as he became the best male swimmer of the Gala, winning 3 gold medals at the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan. Marchand broke Michael Phelps’ world record for the 400-meter individual medley by over 1.34 seconds. Even his coach, Bob Bowman, who has been known for training Michael Phelps for many years, taught Marchand at Arizona State when they won an NCAA team championship. He said he had never seen anything like it before, not even after staying with Phelps.

On that note, Leon Marchand said to AP News, “He actually told me that; I didn’t know you could do that because I think he went to like six or seven Olympics,” stressing the fact that it feels really nice to hear something about him from the coach. Not only his coach, though, 800 freestyle finalist David Aubry, his teammate, jokingly said that Marchand seems alien or Jesus to him. He further compared him to a fish after seeing how incredible he is in all the events and matches. So, being a representative of French Swimming at the Paris Olympics, his fans and team set their eyes on him with high expectations. Will this “French Michael Phelps” continue to break records in the upcoming events? What’s your thought on this? Let us know!