After ‘Transition Year,’ Leon Marchand Still Targeting World Records
The Olympic Games held in Paris held special meaning for French athletes, and Leon Marchand made the most of the rare opportunity to compete for his sport’s highest honor on home soil. He entered a star and emerged a national hero with his four gold medals, all in Olympic-record time.
Now, one year down the line and on the eve of his first championship meet since Paris, Marchand admitted that the preparation has looked different than it did prior to his breakout meet at the 2022 World Championships and his three-gold-medal follow-up in 2023. He spent time training in different locations before returning to the watchful eye of Bob Bowman in Austin, Texas, in the late spring.
He pulled out of competitions including the Short Course World Championships in December and French Championships in June. He even reduced his racing schedule for this global meet, opting to concentrate on the individual medley events at the expense of the 200 butterfly and 200 backstroke. But the unique nature of the post-Olympic year has not negated Marchand’s innate racing ability or eagerness to pursue seemingly-unrealistic goals
“I would say it’s more a transition year for me after the Olympics, which was a big goal for me and a lot of athletes, mostly French. I would say it’s getting back into the game. I had a pretty good year of relaxing, getting back into it,” Marchand said. “I’m excited for Worlds. I want PBs in every single one of my races. Of course, I want to break world records in the next few years, I don’t know when that’s going to happen. But I still have a lot to do in the swimming world.”
Outside-the-pool life also looks different for Marchand, particularly in his home country. “A lot of positives, a lot of negative,” Marchand admitted. “I can’t just go on my own in the city and get some bread.” Adapting to his new realities took time, and Marchand became even more grateful for time spent away. “I’m getting used to it, I know how to handle it better, I know how to say no better,” he said. “I got a lot more peace when I travel out of France. I was able to train better and just do my own things like usual.”
While the meet begins Sunday, Marchand will have several days before embarking on his individual program of events, with the 200 IM on days four and five of competition. The world record in that event is among his primary targets after he came up six-hundredths short while winning gold in Paris. Ryan Lochte’s mark of 1:54.00 has stood since 2011.
He has not have lost a 200 IM final since his first world title in 2022, and at least one of his rivals in the event expects that streak to continue. “My money is still on Leon,” said Hubert Kos, the Olympic gold medalist in the 200 backstroke and Marchand’s training partner at Texas. “We’ll see. I don’t want to count myself out just yet.”
There will actually be four swimmers in Bowman’s training group as leading contenders in the shorter medley, with the current top-two times in the world belonging to Americans Shaine Casas and Carson Foster. Kos was the NCAA champion in the 200-yard IM this year, and the event was his primary event as a younger swimmer. Marchand described the presence of Kos in the 200 IM as “really exciting.”
I think I’ve been telling (him) for a long time to do the 200 IM because I know what he’s capable of doing in practice,” Marchand said. “We race all the time, and I know he can get up pretty fast in the first 100 and to do pretty well. So I’m excited to do this.”
