French swimmer Léon Marchand smashes 200m medley world record
He set the mark swimming in the semifinals and, in theory, could break it again in Thursday's finals.
"Actually I can't believe it right now," Marchand said.
"I knew I was going to be close to my PB (personal best) because I felt really good today and preparation has been pretty good.
"But 1:52 is unbelievable for me."
The French champion took an extended break from swimming after his Paris Olympics heroics and only returned to competition in May.
Marchand won four Olympic gold medals a year ago in Paris, but is only swimming the 200 and 400 medley – and relays – in Singapore. He has said that planning the lighter schedule in what he calls a 'transition year' will keep him fresh to chase the world marks.
Marchand will swim the 400 IM on Sunday, the final day of the world championships. He holds that record of 4:02.50 set in the 2023 worlds in Fukuoka, Japan.
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