Léon Marchand rides post-Olympic wave into World Championships in Singapore
Despite his new status, the reserved Marchand had no say in the matter. He gave in to his older teammate's instructions and played along: chest out, sunglasses on, medals around his neck. Being close to the spectators wasn't entirely unpleasant, but behind his beaming smile was a hint of apprehension. "During the first week of the Olympics, I was focused on the competition. But in the second week, I realized that everything was going to change in my daily life in France," he later told several media outlets, including Le Monde, in April 2025.
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LeMonde
2 hours ago
- LeMonde
Léon Marchand smashes 200m medley world record
France's Léon Marchand smashed the 200m individual medley world record in Singapore on Wednesday, setting a new mark of 1 min 52.69 sec. Swimming in the semi-finals at the world championships, the 23-year-old took more than a second off the previous record of 1:54.00 set by Ryan Lochte in 2011. Marchand beat Michael Phelps's long-standing 400m medley record at the world championships in Japan two years ago. "Actually I can't believe it right now," said Marchand, who won four individual golds in front of his home fans at the Paris Olympics a year ago. "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." Marchand took an extended break from swimming after his Paris Olympics heroics and only returned to competition in May. He is focusing on the medley events in Singapore and had said he was going for Lochte's record. Marchand got his world championship campaign under way on Wednesday morning, clocking a time of 1:57.63 in the heats. He said he would go all-out for the record in the semi-finals rather than conserve his energy for Thursday's final. "It was good, I swam well, I think I pretty much did what I wanted to do," Marchand said after his morning heat. "There are a few technical details that I'll go over with my coach, things I can improve on for tonight." Le Monde with AFP Reuse this content
France 24
2 hours ago
- France 24
French swimmer Léon Marchand smashes 200m medley world record
French swimmer Léon Marchand broke the world record in the 200-metre individual medley on Wednesday at the world championships in Singapore, clocking 1 minute 52.61 seconds to surpass the 1:54.00 set in 2011 by American Ryan Lochte. 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.
France 24
3 hours ago
- France 24
Olympic champ Pan crashes out again in second worlds flop
Pan, who stunned the world by winning gold in Paris in a new record time of 46.40sec a year ago, finished 10th in the semi-finals in Singapore, missing out on the eight-man final. His time of 47.81 was a full second behind the fastest qualifier, American Jack Alexy. "To put it plainly, I just wasn't in good shape today," said the 20-year-old Pan. "I'll continue to work hard." Pan also flopped in the 200m freestyle in Singapore, going out in the heats. Australia's Kyle Chalmers, who qualified for the 100m final from the same semi-final as Pan, said his Chinese rival was "probably struggling a little bit". "He said to me this morning after the heat, 'I am tired' after we touched the wall, so I'm assuming he's not at his best," said Chalmers. "He had such a successful Olympic year last year. A lot of Australian Olympic athletes like myself have struggled the year after the Olympics, historically. "I'm sure he's probably even more famous than I ever was in Australia." Pan's win in Paris turned heads in the swimming world, with Australian Olympian-turned swimming coach Brett Hawke questioning its legitimacy. Hawke, an Australian Olympic sprint freestyler himself who went on to mentor Brazil's Cesar Cielo, the first man to break 47 seconds, claimed the world record time was "not humanly possible".
