As the countdown to the Paris 2024 Olympics begins, one name that has been making waves, quite literally, is Léon Marchand. A holder of multiple national records, this Frenchman also holds a world record previously held by none other that the GOAT Michael Phelps.So, what is the story of this young Frenchman Marchand, and where does he come from?

It’s a simple answer. Marchand is from Toulouse, France, just 22 and already conquering the world.

Early training and achievements

Leon Marchand comes from a family that’s deeply connected to swimming. He is the son of Xavier Marchand – the former Olympian and a world silver medalist. His mother Celine Bonnet is also a French record-holder. As a result, he was naturally attracted to the sport during his forming years. That attraction found its wings under the shade of the Dauphins de Toulouse Olympique Employés Club.

Marchand was always a special child. As a result, expectations were always high for him. Unsurprisingly, he lived up to those expectations quite early. In 2019, as a 17-year-old, Marchand won the French 200m butterfly title – his first-ever championship win. In just a few months he followed that up with a bronze in the 400m medley at the Junior World Championships in Budapest. However, this was just the beginning of his journey – he firmly arrived at the scene during the 2020 Nationals.

National Success and transition to the US and Collegiate career 

Leon Marchand’s star continued to rise at the beginning of the new decade. He participated in the French Swimming Championships, and had a strong showing. The swimmer won two gold medals in the 200m butterfly and 200m medley. However, while he excelled in swimming, Marchand knew he could do more. And that led his shift to the US. 

Marchand had announced in September of 2020 that he was going to study at Arizona State University. Part of the reason for this was the unique opportunity to train under the tutelage of Bob Bowman – the former mentor of Michael Phelps. So while Marchand pursued a computer science major in college, he continued to become even better at swimming. That was evident in his series of wins in US Opens.

In the 2022 NCAA Championships, Leon Marchand won two gold medals in the 200-yard medley and 200-yard breaststroke. On top of that, he also won two silvers in the 400-yard medley and 4×100-yard freestyle. Marchand followed that up with 3 more medals in the 2023 NCAA Championships, adding a 400-yard medley to his previous collection. He also won 2 silvers and 2 bronze medals. However, his rise had just started – Marchand was about to conquer the world.

International success 

While Leon Marchand failed to win a medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, his potential was visible to everyone. But he finally began to live up to it in the 2022 World Aquatics Championships. The young athlete transformed into a star after winning 2 golds in 400m individual medley (European record) and 200m individual medley (National record). He also finished with a silver in the 200m butterfly, where he again set a national record.

But Marchand wasn’t done yet. He followed that up with another 3 medal tally in the 2023 Fukuoka World Aquatics Championships. However, unlike 2022, this time he won a trinity of gold medals in 200m butterfly, 200m medley, and 400m medley.

The year 2023 proved to be a major breakthrough for Leon Marchand wherein he established himself as a favourite for the Paris Olympics. But it wasn’t just the medals that created that perception, it was his unreal records.

Record-breaking achievements 

The 2023 World Aquatics Championships turned out to be the one for the history books. Leon Marchand broke the last-standing individual world record of the legendary Michael Phelps by finishing his 400m individual medley at 4:02.50, a whole 1.34 seconds less than Phelps. In a way, Marchand didn’t just touch the record but rather he shattered it.

But that wasn’t enough. Marchand has been a part of an even more impressive feat. The superstar became the first swimmer in history to finish under four minutes and three seconds. Call it a coincidence or a passing of the torch, but Phelps presented Marchand with the gold medal after the event. Whatever the case, Marchand had arrived to world swimming and was here to stay.

“That was insane, one of the most painful things I’ve done. It was amazing to do it here, and the time is crazy,” said Marchand about his word record. No doubt that was one of the biggest stories of that year. But then the 2024 Olympics gives Marchand a chance to continue that streak of gold medals. But can he seize this opportunity? We shall find out soon.