For decades, the legendary Michael Phelps conquered the sport of swimming as no one had ever done before him. He was a miracle, a never-seen-before talent who took the swimming world by storm. Men came and went before and after him, but no one was able to exhibit raw and sheer greatness as the Flying Fish did. At least, not until now. Currently, there is a new professional swimmer who is making waves in the water. Leon Marchand has quickly shot to the top of the charts in the sport, and in doing so he has dominated the heart of Michael Phelps himself.

Leon Marchand is a Frenchman and a world record holder, a world champion in swimming, and an NCAA champion as well. The 21-year-old burst into the swimming scene with a bang. At the recently held World Swimming Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, Marchand made quite the stir after he managed to obliterate the longest-standing record by the G.O.A.T. Michael Phelps himself. His performance at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships earned the title of the male swimmer of the meet, a prestige he justified 10 times over.

Swimming gets its new torch bearer

The first day of the Fukuoka Swimming Championships saw Leon Marchand rush to the finish line like the water was on fire. Or maybe it was just the 21-year-old who was on fire. According to Olympics.com, Marchand smashed the men’s 400m individual medley world record held by Michael Phelps on opening night. The young swimmer touched the finish line in 4:02.50, thus taking off entire 1.34 seconds from the world record. The record, previously held by the 38-year-old, was the longest-standing record left for Phelps.

He held that record for a total of 5,110 days and it was previously threatened by Marchand himself. When Leon Marchand took the record for himself, the most decorated Olympian was there to congratulate and felicitate the young champion. There is no question that with the ultimate display of his unmatched prowess, Leon Marchand is the one male swimmer who dominated the world swimming championships 2023. His achievements, however, do not only end at taking the world record from the 23-time Olympic gold medalist. No, Marchand shined through all the swimming events at the World Championships.

Read more: Breaking: Michael Phelps’ 21-Year Long Reign Shattered as Coach Bowman Creates Another Legend

Last year, Marchand dominated the championships as well, winning the same title he won this year. This year, he once again clinched the best man at the swimming competition. The previous year Marchand achieved 2 golds and 1 silver. He got the silver in the 200m fly last year, which he converted into gold this year. In addition to these, he conquered the 200 IM as well. However, both Phelps and Marchand are of the same opinion, the young Frenchman has a long way to go.

The blessings have been passed on to the younger generation

Leon Marchand had a special spectator when he made history in the sport of swimming. Michael Phelps watched the entire race where his record got broken. At one point, while watching Marchand fly through the water, he said, “Are you kidding me?” The legend could not believe his eyes at the rare skills showcased by the young swimmer. Phelps further exclaimed, “Oh my gosh. I cannot get over that. What a race!” 

The legend even posted a congratulatory Instagram post, which was a photo with the next generation of swimming, Leon Marchand. Along with the photo, he wrote, “Congrats to @leon.marchand31 and @coach_bowman !! All records are meant to be broken and I know the work it took to get there… I’m excited to watch your journey”. It seems like Michael Phelps has personally blessed the career of the 21-year-old Leon Marchand, and the new swimming exponent will go far in the sport.

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