Learn about Léon Marchand’s dad and mom, Xavier Marchand and Celine Bonnet

Léon Marchand comes from a family where swimming is deeply ingrained in them. He was born on May 17, 2002, to Xavier Marchand and Céline Bonnet. The senior Marchand is an Olympian and a former world silver medalist. However, his mother is also an Olympian and a French record-holder. The duo have represented the nation in 3 Summer Games. They aren’t the only ones. Christophe Marchand, his uncle, also contested in the 1998 and 1992 Games in distance events. 

Xavier Marchand contested in the 200m IM at the 1996 Atlanta Games and 2000 Sydney Games. However, he didn’t medal in either. In the former, the swimmer finished 8th, while he finished 7th in the latter. On the other hand, he clinched a World silver medal in the 200m IM with 2:01:66. Marchand had a personal best time of 2:01:08 by the end of his career. His son broke that record last year by clinching the world title in 1:54:82.

Léon Marchand’s mother, Céline Bonnet, debuted at just 16 at the 1992 Barcelona Games. However, unlike her husband, she contested in 3 individual events – 100m backstroke, 200m IM and 400m IM. However, she missed out on clinching any medals either. Bonnet’s highest finish came in the 200m IM, where she placed 14th. Similarly, she placed 14th as a part of the quartet for France’s 4x100m medley relay.

The swimmer understands how having Olympian parents could be considered as an advantage. In fact, he recently pulled the curtains on how he views it. The Olympian has always been lean; in fact, many bullied him about it. But he believes this is one of the many things that helps him. But there definitely is a genetic advantage too. “I don’t think that makes me good in the water. In any case I feel good. Thanks, Dad. Thanks, Mom,” he confessed. Did you know there once was a time when his parents wanted him to switch to another path? 

Why did Leon Marchand’s father, mother, and uncle once want Marchand to pursue a different career?

The Olympian has recently been making a splash in the pool. But things weren’t always this easy. When he was younger, many bullied him for being too skinny. Something that he considers a slight advantage now. Surprisingly, the swimmer wanted to quit the sport at 7. Why? Marchand admitted the water was too cold for him. Even when he won races early on, he would often get out the pool and wait as he shivered. However, looking back, the 22-year-old admitted that his parents never pushed him into anything he didn’t want.

One example of this would be when he didn’t enjoy swimming as much, Léon Marchand ventured into rugby and judo. But no matter what he did, the Olympian always found his way back to the pool. There once came a time when his parents stepped in, advising him to shift his focus to individual When things didn’t turn out well, the swimmer tried his hand at judo and rugby. But swimming had always been his calling, bringing him back to the pool every time. Xavier and Céline tried to sway him away from the sport. “We told him, no, don’t do swimming, it’s too hard. No holidays, every day,” his mother told Swimming World. But nothing could stop the wunderkind from dominating the pool.

The Olympian recently opened up about how his father wasn’t too keen on him pursuing the sport. “I think that at the beginning, he didn’t really want me to nig because entry is not necessarily the most fun part, he did it. So, he knew all the sacrifices to achieve hundredths of a second, which are not necessarily the most profitable.” But when the swimmer made his choice, Xavier Marchand didn’t leave any stone unturned to ensure the 22-year-old excelled.  

Léon Marchand made waves in the NCAA and recently at the Paris Olympics. With this, his stardom grew tenfold. Even though he has admitted to being an introvert, the Olympian navigated his way through the fame. But his family prefers to live a more grounded life. When his popularity skyrocketed, his parents were often scared by it. “We try as hard as we can to protect him and keep him sane. Live like a normal family, in fact,” they reiterated. This didn’t stop them from beaming with pride as they watched their son swim to glory at París La Défense Arena.