Leon Marchand Hints 400 Freestyle Could Be Part of Future Program
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“Maybe even the 400 free. We’ll see how it goes.”
Ten words. That’s all it took for Leon Marchand to tease the future. To spark intrigue. To tap into the hypothetical – perhaps a European clash with fellow Olympic champion and world-record holder Lukas Martens?
As the World Championships wrapped up their 22nd edition in Singapore, Marchand unleashed the latest dominant performance of his career. A few days removed from setting a world record in the 200-meter individual medley, Marchand captured his third consecutive world title in the 400 IM, going 4:04.73 for the fifth-fastest time in history.
For an exclamation point, the 23-year-old Frenchman then handled the breaststroke leg on France’s 400 medley relay, which earned the silver medal and set a national record. Among the field, Marchand was the third-fastest breaststroker, his split of 58.44 trailing only the 57.92 effort of Russia’s Kirill Prigoda and the 58.42 of reigning Olympic champion Nicolo Martinenghi of Italy.
Not long after he completed his business, Marchand chatted with media and, as part of his meet assessment, looked ahead to the next cycle of work he’ll log under coach Bob Bowman. He’ll train for the individual medley events. He’ll target the 200 breaststroke. He’ll focus on the 200 butterfly. Nothing unusual.
And then Marchand casually suggested a potential dalliance with the 400 freestyle.
Yes, please.
It wouldn’t be shocking to see Marchand take on the 400 freestyle at some point during this quad. Maybe at the 2026 European Championships? Possibly at the 2027 World Championships? Three years remain on the road to the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, and training for a 400 freestyle at some point, even if it wasn’t on his next Olympic program, wouldn’t hinder any sort of grand plan.
The 400 freestyle is hardly a venture into uncharted territory for Marchand, who owns the record in the 500-yard freestyle at 4:02.31, posted at the 2024 NCAA Championships. There’s no doubt that Marchand’s incomparable underwaters played a critical factor in that performance and short-course action and long-course competition are absolutely different animals. Still, there is enough past evidence from Marchand to project that his middle-distance freestyle success would carry over to the big pool.
If Marchand eventually contests the 400 freestyle at an international competition, it won’t be the first time Bowman guides one of his athletes in that direction. Following Michael Phelps’ eight-medal haul at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Bowman had Phelps race the 100 freestyle and 400 freestyle at the 2005 World Championships in Montreal. Although Phelps’ 2005 dabble didn’t go as projected, he once held the national record in the 400 free at 3:46.73.
We marvel at what Marchand has already achieved in the sport, highlighted by those four gold medals at a pressure-filled home Olympics. He loves a challenge, which was evident in his chase of the world record in the 200 IM. So, why not make a run at a new event? It doesn’t have to be permanent. And if it doesn’t work out, there will be no effect on his legacy.
The fact that it’s even being considered? Enticing.
