French swimming sensation Leon Marchand is making waves with comparisons to the legendary Michael Phelps, and even Phelps himself sees the greatness in him.
Reflecting on his own career, Phelps shared with sports analyst Pat McAfee, “When I was chasing my goals, people doubted me, but deep down, I knew I could do it. Leon has that same fire. People thought my records were untouchable, but clearly, that’s not the case anymore.”
At the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Marchand shattered Phelps’ long-standing record in the 400m individual medley with an astounding time of 4:02.50. Marchand described the experience as “insane” and one of the most grueling challenges he’s faced. “It was incredible to achieve this here, and the time is just crazy,” he exclaimed.
Phelps, in awe of Marchand’s achievement, said, “I love seeing a young athlete chase their dreams and make them a reality. Leon and I share so many similarities.”
In Paris, Marchand didn’t just stop there—he also broke Kristóf Milák’s record in the 200m freestyle. Phelps, while commentating, marveled at Marchand’s performance, especially considering the intense back-to-back races. “That’s probably the greatest double in the history of the sport,” Phelps declared. “Going 1:52 in the 200m freestyle and 2:05 in the 200m breaststroke is just phenomenal. This kid is the real deal, and if anyone doubted it before, they won’t now. He’s here to stay and will make a lot of noise in the swimming world.”
Marchand’s triple gold haul in these events is another testament to his exceptional talent.
Adding to the excitement is Marchand’s connection to Phelps through their shared coach, Bob Bowman. Marchand, eager to follow in Phelps’ footsteps, reached out to Bowman via email, expressing his desire to join the team at Arizona State University. The email worked wonders, and he became part of the team in 2020.
Hailing from Toulouse, Marchand comes from a lineage of swimmers, being the son of Olympian Xavier Marchand and French record holder Céline Bonnet. His journey is nothing short of extraordinary, and it’s just beginning!
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