Marvellous Marchand sparkles on return to global stage with 200m medley world record
Photo:
FRANCOIS-XAVIER MARIT / AFP
Four-time Olympic gold medallist Leon Marchand returned to the global stage with a bang on Wednesday by shattering the 200 metres individual medley world record to light up day four of the world championships in Singapore.
The "French Phelps" blasted through the World Aquatics Championships Arena in one minute, 52.69 seconds in his semi-final, shaving more than 1.3 seconds off Ryan Lochte's long-standing 1:54.00 from the 2011 event in Shanghai.
"I actually can't really believe it right now," said Marchand, who also owns the 400 IM world record of 4:02.50.
"I knew I was going to get close to my PB (personal best) because I felt really good today, and the preparation has been pretty good, so I was really excited to race.
"It's unbelievable for me. What's crazy is that i's a whole second (ahead of Lochte).
"A 1:52 on the 200, that's insane. I'm so happy, it's just incredible."
France's swimmer Leon Marchand celebrates
Photo:
MANAN VATSYAYANA / AFP
Exhausted after the Paris Games where he won four individual golds, Marchand skipped the short course world championships in Hungary last December and suffered injuries before returning to the pool for the TYR Pro Series in Florida in May.
He is swimming a reduced programme in Singapore, focusing on the 200 and 400 IM alone for individual events, as he works through what he calls a "transition year".
If this is his transition year his rivals might wonder what he has in store for them in a normal season.
New Zealand's Lewis Clareburt qualified sixth fastest for the 200 IM final which is on Thursday night.
-Reuters
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