Related media – Connected media
NANTERRE, France — French sensation Léon Marchand continued his impressive run at the Paris Olympics, becoming the first swimmer in history to win gold in both the 200-meter butterfly and 200-meter breaststroke at the same Games. And he did it on the same night.
Marchand won his first gold medal of the day in the 200-meter butterfly, setting an Olympic record with a time of 1:51.21, in an incredible comeback victory over Hungary’s Kristóf Milák, who finished second in 1:51.75.
About two hours later, Marchand set another Olympic record by swimming the 200-meter breaststroke in 2:05.85. It was probably the greatest single-night swimming performance in Olympic history.
“I knew it was possible for me to do it, finish the races, but maybe not win them,” Marchand said. “I never knew if I could win both.”
Earlier this week, Marchand won a gold medal in the 400-meter individual medley. That makes it three for three in gold, with one event left on his schedule.
He is only the fourth male swimmer in Olympic history to win more than two individual gold medals at the same Games.
The 22-year-old Frenchman, competing at his home Olympics, was under the microscope throughout the meet, carrying the pressure and hope of his countrymen with him in every swim. And he gave it his all.
Marchand’s time of 4:02.95 in the 400 IM also set an Olympic record, breaking the record set by Michael Phelps in 2008. It was Marchand’s first Olympic gold medal and a moment that gave him goosebumps. Marchand said he was proud of himself and also of his country.
Wednesday was always going to be a highlight of Marchand’s schedule in Paris, with his hopes of swimming the finals of the 200 butterfly and 200 breaststroke in a span of two hours. It’s a challenging double with two grueling events, but one that Marchand said he was prepared for thanks to his NCAA experience at Arizona State. He’s used to doubles and short changes of direction between events and felt confident he could handle this schedule here.
Marchand’s coach, Bob Bowman, told him he thought he could complete the double on Wednesday after the 400 IM final because he looked so strong in his breaststroke.
Marchand said the last few days had been “a bit like a marathon,” but he thought he had had enough time to recover and prepare in the meantime. Winning two gold medals in one night was a dream of his.
“I won two gold medals in two hours, and that’s really incredible,” he said.
Marchand has proven himself confident in virtually every setting he has encountered at his home Games. The Paris La Défense Arena has welcomed him with open arms, the crowd loud and wild every time he steps onto the starting block, with one competitor comparing the atmosphere to the feel of a soccer match.
But Marchand had prepared for this moment, and he knew going into the meet how hard he had worked to succeed on this stage. Bowman had similar experiences with his former protégé, Phelps. He tried to keep Marchand in his routine, avoiding as many distractions as possible.
“The main thing is just to prepare in the water, the main thing is just to swim as fast as you can,” Marchand said this spring to The Athletic. “But it’s not just about swimming when it comes to the home Olympics.”
The Olympics at home also mean that his smile is a little bigger when he touches the wall and the applause is even louder than he could have ever imagined.
Marchand has another medal opportunity in the men’s 200-meter medley. He will swim in the preliminaries for that event on Thursday morning.
Related media – Linked media
