“A dream came true”- Leon Marchand expresses delight after establishing Olympic record in front of home crowd at Paris Olympics 2024

By Abhiruchi Rout

Modified Jul 29, 2024 08:11 GMT

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French swimming sensation Leon Marchand expressed delight after his outstanding gold-medal-winning performance in the men’s 400m individual medley event at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Swimming at the Saint-Denis Aquatic Center, the crowd favorite Marchand achieved a new Olympic record time of 4:02.95 to win the elusive swimming gold for his country.

Marchand not only shattered Michael Phelps' record of 4:03.84, incidentally a former world record, set during the Beijing Olympics but also brought France a gold medal in swimming after 12 years. Florent Manaudou was the last French swimmer to clinch gold for the nation in the men’s 50m freestyle, clocking a time of 21.34s at the 2012 London Olympics.

The 22-year-old Marchand delivered a dominant performance from the get-go, leading the pack and establishing a substantial gap to his competitors, with silver medalist Tomoyuki Matsushita of Japan finishing in 4:08.62 and bronze medalist Carson Foster from the United States finishing in 4:08.66.

Following his record-breaking performance in the 400m IM finals, Marchand took to his Instagram account to express his delight, stating:

“A DREAM CAME TRUE !! MERCI PARIS 💙”

Although Marchand was on pace to break his world record at the final turn, he slowed down as he completed the finish lap. He had previously established the world record during the 2023 World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, clocking a 4:02.50.

It is worth noting that Marchand is currently coached by Bob Bowman, the Director of Swimming and Diving at the University of Texas, who also coached Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian in history.

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A look at Leon Marchand’s next events at the Paris Olympics

Leon Marchand celebrates winning gold in the Men's 400m Individual Medley Final in a new world record time of WR 4:02.50 at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

Leon Marchand is next set to feature in the men’s 200m butterfly and 200m individual medley, where he is also a strong medal contender. The 200m butterfly heats and semifinals are set for July 30, with Marchand competing in Heat 4. The finals of the event will take place on July 31.

Marchand will be in action in heat 3 of the 200m individual medley on August 1, whose semifinals will be held on the same date, and whose finals are slated for August 2, 2024.

Some other accomplishments of Marchand include being a five-time gold medalist at the World Aquatics Championships long course.