Twenty-two-year-old Leon Marchand is the new darling of the local French media. The young swimmer has been the face of the Games so far for the host nation. He has been gracing the front page of local newspapers and covers of popular magazines. French television channels have been holding live shows to discuss his incredible achievements.
The ongoing Paris 2024, as far the hosts French are concerned, is all about Marchand. And rightly so, he has so far won four gold medals; in the 200m butterfly, 200m breaststroke, 400m individual medley, and the 200m individual medley events. All of these wins have been in record Olympic time. Remarkably, he clinched gold in 400m individual medley by breaking the Olympic record set by none other than the legendary Michael Phelps.
Hailing from Toulouse, a city in southwestern France located at a distance of nearly 700 kilometres from Paris, Leon is the son of former French medley swimmers Xavier Marchand and Celine Bonnet. Naturally, Leon took to swimming at a very young age. In 2019, at 17, he won the French 200m butterfly title. A few months later, he secured bronze in the 400m medley at the Junior World Championships in Budapest.
Leon made his Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020, reaching the final of the 400m individual medley (sixth), and the semifinals of the 200m butterfly. He also competed in the heats of the 200m individual medley and 4x100m medley relay, but could not finish on the podium in none of these events.
After the Tokyo Olympics he made one decision that changed his life forever. In 2022, he moved to the USA to attend Arizona State University and train under Bob Bowman, the man who discovered Phelps and molded countless other Olympians. The move proved to be fruitful as he became a national hero in the span of six days. His four gold medals make him one of France's most successful Olympians in history, tying the record for gold medals won by any athlete.
Interestingly, after Leon took the world by storm at Paris 2024, French parents are reportedly encouraging their children to attend swimming classes. Swimming academies and training centres in the country are said to be witnessing a heavy rush of aspiring swimmers. They all want their wards to be the next Leon! It seems Indian and French parents are alike when it comes to chasing success!