On the third and final day of the Short Course World Cup in Incheon, South Korea, Leon Marchand stole the show with an impressive performance in the 400m medley. He took his time at the start, keeping things calm and steady, but when it mattered most, he surged ahead to win in 3.58.30. Marchand managed to overtake Daiya Seto, and it was much needed.

With this, Marchand silenced critics who initially doubted his performance, with one saying, “Missing out on making the cut for the finals should be a huge red flag.” But Marchand proved them wrong, showing just why he remains one of the most promising talents in swimming. But why did Swimming World question him?

Leon Marchand had a tough moment when he just barely missed the finals of the 100m freestyle event, finishing with a time of 47.46 and missing the cut by only 0.04 seconds. This near miss left fans wondering if it might signal a shift in his dominance in the pool. However, he didn’t let that setback keep him down for long. In the 200m individual medley, he came back strong, posting a time of 1:50.30. While it was a bit slower than his previous record, it still showed everyone why he’s the reigning Olympic champion in the event.

Still, some fans were quick to raise concerns, pointing out that his time was a bit slower than the 1:50.30 he clocked last week in Shanghai, which set new French and European records. With the high expectations that come from his four golds and one bronze at the Paris 2024 Olympics, fans can’t help but expect even more from Marchand. However, the third day was packed with standout moments from other big names, too.

Noe Ponti nearly shattered his own 50m butterfly world record, missing it by just nine hundredths of a second. He clocked in at 21.76 seconds, chasing down Nyls Korstanje, who initially led the race and ended up in second with 21.99. Meanwhile, Marius Kusch from Germany and Isaac Cooper from Australia tied for third at 22.30, keeping the competition tight and exciting.

Then there was Zhanle Pan, who’s known for his record-breaking speed in the 100m freestyle. He didn’t disappoint, setting a new World Cup record in the 800m freestyle with a time of 7:35.30, breaking Gabriele Detti’s record from 2017. Pan’s versatility in these events is just incredible, proving he’s a true powerhouse across freestyle distances. But that’s not all!

Beyond Leon Marchand, Regan Smith and others also shined bright in Incheon!

At the Incheon World Cup, Regan Smith cruised to victory in the 200m backstroke with a time of 1:59.60, capitalizing on Kaylee McKeown’s absence. Smith took control early, leading before the halfway point and never looking back. Belarus’s Anastasiya Shkurdai (2:01.51) and Ingrid Wilm (2:03.23) rounded out the podium, while Beata Nelson missed third place by just two hundredths of a second.

In the 100m freestyle, Siobhan Haughey lived up to her favorite status, winning in 51.73 seconds over Katarzyna Wasick (52.19) and Milla Jansen (52.26).

The 100m butterfly was a nail-biter, with Yiting Yu (56.22) and Louise Hansson (56.24) starting strong but losing ground in the final stretch. Finland’s Laura Lahtinen took advantage, claiming first in 55.76 seconds, while Lilly Price edged out Hansson for silver with a time of 56.15. Yu also captured the 200m medley title, clocking 2:04.73, ahead of Mary-Sophie Harvey (2:05.23) and Tara Kinder (2:06.56).

Meanwhile, Qianting Tang dominated the 50m breaststroke with a swift 29.03 finish, beating out Benedetta Pilato (29.48) and Alina Zmushka (29.80). With Incheon wrapped up, the final showdown moves to Singapore from October 31 to November 2, where the overall World Cup titles will be decided.