Who is Leon Marchand? Swimmer who’s France’s poster boy at Paris 2024 after winning two golds in one night

Leon Marchand did the unthinkable on Wednesday night at the Paris Olympics by winning two gold medals at the La Défense Arena.

Thanks to Leon Marchand winning his second and third gold medals in the space of two hours, the host nation rose to second spot in the Paris Olympics standings at the end of Day 5.

So who is Leon Marchand? We explain in this quick explainer:

What did Leon Marchand do?

Leon Marchand claimed two gold medals in very different strokes in the swimming pool on Wednesday. Both gold medals — one in the 200-meter butterfly and the other in 200 breaststroke — were just two hours apart. And both were set with Olympic record times, while defeating the existing Olympics record holders.

In the 200m breaststroke race, he dethroned Australia’s Zac Stubblety-Cook for gold and the Olympic record time. But just a couple of hours earlier, he beat Hungary’s Kristof Milak in the 200m butterfly final, in one of the races of Paris 2024.

Australia’s Zac Stubblety-Cook heaped praise on Leon Marchand after losing his Olympic record time to the Frenchman.

“Leon is like an ultimate competitor. I left nothing out there so I can’t complain. Silver for me, to get back on the podium after Tokyo, I’m content with that. There is still definitely more. I’d like to get quicker than that,” he said. “It’s his moment. He’s hungry. He’s on the cusp of being one of the greatest swimmers. We’re just seeing the beginning.”

His first gold medal had come in the 400 individual medley event on Sunday.

Coached by Phelps’ former coach

Leon Marchand is coached by Michael Phelps’s former mentor Bob Bowman.

Leon Marchand used to swim at Arizona State University in USA for three years. He then moved to University of Texas with Bowman.

Leon Marchand’s Arizona State teammates affectionately called him “the Baguette”.

“Leon has several things that make him a great,” Bowman had said before the Olympics began. “He has speed and he has endurance. So he kind of has the whole package that you want, and so far he’s done well under pressure, which is the other piece of that equation. He has it all really.”

When Leon Marchand won the gold medal in the 400-meter individual medley event a few days back, it moved Bowman to tear up, just like he would when Phelps was winning all those medals.

Leon Marchand is frequently compared to Phelps. At the 2023 world championships in Fukuoka, Marchand broke Phelps’ 15-year-old world record in the 400-meter individual medley. he also claimed wins in two of Phelps’ signature events: 200 IM and 200 butterfly.

Leon Marchand has swimming in his genes

Born in Toulouse, France, the 22-year-old Leon Marchand has roots in swimming. Leon Marchand’s father, Xavier, represented France at the Atlanta Games in 1996 and the Sydney Olympics in 2000. At Atlanta 1996, Xavier finishing 8th in the 200m individual medley. Four years later, at Sydney 2000, he was 7th.

Leon Marchand’s mother, Celine, competed in four events in Barcelona 1992. She ended 14th in the 200m individual medley.

Xavier’s brother, Christophe, also competed in the Olympics, finishing 12th in the 1500m freestyle in 1988.

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