Léon Marchand facts for kids
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Marchand in 2023
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| Nationality | French | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 17 May 2002 Toulouse, France |
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| Height | 187 cm | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 77 kg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Swimming | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Strokes | Breaststroke, Individual Medley, Butterfly, Freestyle | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College team |  Arizona State University |
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| Coach | Bob Bowman, Nicolas Castel | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Léon Marchand is a French swimmer born on May 17, 2002. He is known for holding world records in the 400 metres individual medley and the 200 metres individual medley (short course). He also holds several Olympic records and French records.
At the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Léon Marchand won four gold medals. These were in the 200 metre breaststroke, 200 metre butterfly, 200 metre individual medley, and 400 metre individual medley. He also earned a bronze medal in the 4x100 metre medley relay. This made him one of only a few swimmers in Olympic history to win four individual gold medals at one Games. Many people, including legendary swimmer Michael Phelps, see him as the "next Phelps."
Contents
Early Life and Training
Léon Marchand was born in Toulouse, France. His parents, Xavier Marchand and Céline Bonnet, were both famous French swimmers. Even though his parents were swimmers, Léon first tried judo and then rugby.
He started swimming with the Dauphins du TOEC club when he was six. His coach, Nicolas Castel, trained him in Toulouse until 2021. Around age 12 or 13, Léon began training with a special schedule. In 2017, he tried the 400m individual medley, a race that combines all four swimming strokes. He quickly fell in love with this event.
Léon is also very smart! He earned a high school diploma in science with top honors. He then studied computer science at Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier University.
In August 2021, Léon moved to Arizona in the United States. His parents, who had also trained in the US, encouraged him. Léon wanted to be coached by Bob Bowman, who was the coach for Michael Phelps. He is currently a student at Arizona State University, studying computer science.
Swimming Career Highlights
Léon Marchand has achieved many great things in his swimming career. He has won medals at junior championships, the Olympics, and World Championships.
Junior Championships Success
At the World Junior Swimming Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Léon won a bronze medal. This was in the 400 metre individual medley. He set a new French record with his time of 4:16.37.
First Olympic Games: Tokyo 2020
Marchand first qualified for the Olympics in 2021. He joined the French Olympic Team for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. He finished sixth in the 400 metre individual medley. He also competed in the 200 metre butterfly and 200 metre individual medley.
NCAA Championships in the USA
While studying in the US, Marchand competed in college swimming. At the 2022 NCAA Championships, he won his first college title. He set new records in the 200 yard individual medley. This was a big win for Arizona State University's swim team.
In 2023, he continued his success at the 2023 NCAA Championships. He won gold medals in the 200 yard individual medley, 400 yard individual medley, and 200 yard breaststroke. He set new records in all these events. His amazing swims helped his team finish second overall. This was the best result ever for the Arizona State men's swim program.
World Championships Victories
Léon Marchand has also shined at the World Aquatics Championships.
2022 World Aquatics Championships
At the 2022 World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Marchand won two gold medals. He won the 400 metre individual medley, setting a new European and Championship record. He also won the 200 metre individual medley. He earned a silver medal in the 200 metre butterfly. He became only the third French swimmer to win two individual gold medals at a single World Championships.
2023 World Aquatics Championships
In 2023, at the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, Marchand continued his winning streak. He won three gold medals: in the 200 metre butterfly, 200 metre individual medley, and 400 metre individual medley. In the 400 metre individual medley, he broke the world record with a time of 4:02.50.
2024 Paris Olympics
The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris were a huge success for Marchand. He won four individual gold medals, more than any other athlete at the Games. He became the first French Olympian to win four gold medals at the same Olympic Games. He also won a bronze medal in the 4x100 metre medley relay. His performances led to him being chosen to carry the Olympic flame during the closing ceremony.
Awards and Honours
Léon Marchand has received many awards for his outstanding swimming:
- College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA), Swimmer of the Year (Men's): 2022
- Pac-12 Conference, Swimmer of the Year (Men's): 2021–2022
- Pac-12 Conference, Swimmer of the Meet, Pac-12 Conference Men's Swimming and Diving Championships: 2023
- Pac-12 Conference, Freshman of the Year (Men's): 2021–2022
- SwimSwam, Swammy Award, NCAA Swimmer of the Meet (Men's): 2022 NCAA Division I Championships
- SwimSwam, Swammy Award, NCAA Freshman of the Year (Men's): 2022
- SwimSwam, Swammy Award European Male Swimmer of the Year: 2023
- Swimming World, Swimmer of the Year (male): 2023
- Swimming World, Swimmer of the Year (male): 2024
- SwimSwam, Swammy Award Male Swimmer of the Year: 2024
- SwimSwam, Swammy Award European Male Swimmer of the Year: 2024
- World Aquatics, Athlete of the Year (Men's) : 2024
- European Aquatics, Athlete of the Year (Men's) : 2024
- Knight of the Legion of Honour: 2024
Images for kids
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Léon Marchand in 2023
See also
In Spanish: Léon Marchand para niños
