Léon Marchand facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Léon Marchand

Marchand in 2023
Personal information
Nationality	French
Born	(2002-05-17) 17 May 2002 (age 23) Toulouse, France
Height	187 cm
Weight	77 kg
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	Breaststroke, Individual Medley, Butterfly, Freestyle
Club	University of Texas at Austin
Coach	Bob Bowman, Nicolas Castel
Medal record Men's swimming Representing  France Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 4 0 1 World Championships (LC) 5 1 0 World Junior Championships 0 0 1 European Junior Championships 0 0 2 Olympic Games Gold 2024 Paris 200 m breaststroke Gold 2024 Paris 200 m butterfly Gold 2024 Paris 200 m medley Gold 2024 Paris 400 m medley Bronze 2024 Paris 4x100 m medley World Championships (LC) Gold 2022 Budapest 200 m medley Gold 2022 Budapest 400 m medley Gold 2023 Fukuoka 200 m butterfly Gold 2023 Fukuoka 200 m medley Gold 2023 Fukuoka 400 m medley Silver 2022 Budapest 200 m butterfly World Junior Championships Bronze 2019 Budapest 400 m medley European Junior Championships Bronze 2019 Kazan 200 m breaststroke Bronze 2019 Kazan 400 m medley

Léon Marchand (born May 17, 2002) is a French swimmer who is one of the best in the world. He holds the world record in the 400-meter individual medley, a race that combines all four swimming strokes. He also holds several Olympic records.

At the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Marchand became a star. He won four individual gold medals in the 200-meter medley, 200-meter breaststroke, 200-meter butterfly, and 400-meter medley. This amazing achievement made him only the fourth swimmer in history to win four individual gold medals at a single Olympic Games.

While swimming for Arizona State University, Marchand also dominated college swimming. He won multiple NCAA titles, helping his team win the championship for the first time ever in 2024.

Early Life and Family

Léon Marchand was born on May 17, 2002, in Toulouse, France. Swimming is in his blood. His father, Xavier Marchand, and his mother, Céline Bonnet, were both famous medley swimmers. His uncle, Christophe Marchand, was also a competitive freestyle swimmer.

As a kid, Léon tried other sports like judo and rugby. But he felt most comfortable in the water. He joined the Dauphins du TOEC swim club when he was six years old. He started serious training around age 12. Even though he was good at all the strokes, he wasn't the top swimmer in his age group at first because he was smaller than his competitors. On his parents' advice, he tried the 400-meter individual medley as a teenager and discovered he had a real talent for it.

In 2021, Marchand moved to Arizona to study computer science at Arizona State University. He also wanted to train with Bob Bowman, the famous coach of swimming legend Michael Phelps.

Swimming Career

First Olympic Games

Marchand competed in his first 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, which were held in 2021. He made it to the final of the 400-meter individual medley and finished in sixth place. This was a great experience that prepared him for future success.

Becoming a World Champion

In 2022, Marchand had a breakout year. At the 2022 World Championships in Budapest, he won his first gold medals. He won the 400-meter individual medley with a new European record time of 4:04.28. He also won gold in the 200-meter individual medley and a silver medal in the 200-meter butterfly.

The next year, at the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, he was even better. He won three gold medals and set a new world record in the 400-meter individual medley. His time of 4:02.50 broke a record that had been held by Michael Phelps for 15 years. Marchand also won gold in the 200-meter butterfly and the 200-meter individual medley.

College Swimming Success

While competing internationally, Marchand was also a star swimmer for the Arizona State Sun Devils. At the NCAA Championships, which are the biggest college swimming competitions in the United States, he won many titles.

• 2022: He won NCAA titles in the 200-yard breaststroke and 200-yard individual medley.
• 2023: He won three more titles in the 200-yard breaststroke, 200-yard individual medley, and 400-yard individual medley. He set new records in every event.
• 2024: In his final year, he led his team to its first-ever NCAA team championship title. He won individual titles in the 200-yard breaststroke, 500-yard freestyle, and 400-yard individual medley.

Olympic Glory in Paris

The 2024 Summer Olympics were held in his home country of France, and Marchand did not disappoint. He became one of the biggest stars of the Games.

• He won his first Olympic gold medal in the 400-meter individual medley, setting a new Olympic record.
• He won two gold medals in one night in the 200-meter butterfly and the 200-meter breaststroke, setting Olympic records in both.
• He won his fourth gold medal in the 200-meter individual medley, again with an Olympic record time.
• He also won a bronze medal with the French team in the 4x100-meter medley relay.

His four individual gold medals made him the most successful French athlete at a single Olympics. Many people, including Michael Phelps himself, have called Marchand the next great swimmer.

Léon Marchand is celebrated by fans during the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

Personal Best Times

Here are some of Léon Marchand's fastest times in a 50-meter pool (long course).

Awards and Honors

Marchand has received many awards for his incredible swimming achievements.

• Swimming World Male Swimmer of the Year: 2023, 2024
• World Aquatics Male Swimmer of the Year: 2024
• NCAA Swimmer of the Year: 2022
• Knight of the Legion of Honour (a high honor in France): 2024

See also

In Spanish: Léon Marchand para niños