Last August, Léon Marchand triumphed at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. At only 22 years old, the young man achieved the feat of winning 4 gold medals and a bronze medal. Enough to propel him to the rank of national hero and star for the old and new generations.
This Thursday, January 2, we learned that the athlete from Toulouse, having studied and trained in the United States, decided to go into exile in Australia…
Léon Marchand: a year marked by exploits
At only 22 years old, Léon Marchand already has an impressive track record to his credit, with world champion titles, personal bests that continue to fall and notable performances during international competitions. In 2022, he won two gold medals at the World Championships in Hungary, in iconic events such as the 400m and 200m medley, confirming his status as a world leader in his discipline.
In 2023, during the world swimming championships in Fukuoka, Japan, he retained his titles in the 400m medley in beating, in 4 min 2 s 50 hundredths, the world record of the American Michael Phelps, then in the 200m medley, beating the European record of the Hungarian László Cseh in 1 min 54 s 82 hundredths.
During the 2024 Summer Olympics in Parishe won the gold medal in the 400m medley and set a new Olympic record in 4 min 2 sec 95 hundredths, eclipsing the Olympic record previously held by Michael Phelps. During the competition, he also emerged victorious in the 200 m butterfly (beating the Olympic record in 1 min 51 s 21 hundredths) and 200 m breaststroke (also beating the Olympic record in 2 min 5 s 85 hundredths), won on the same day less than two hours apart, a feat never before achieved at the Olympic Games.
An exile in Australia
In September 2020, Léon Marchand announced his intention to study at Arizona State University. Four years later, it was in Australia that he decided to settle down. As revealed in an article in Le Parisien this Thursday, January 2, 2024, the young man would be “exhausted” and “cooked”. His relatives also report a “fed up with all his surroundings” and “extreme fatigue”.
To recharge his batteries, he decided to leave for the land of kangaroos. “I'm going to try to see another culture, train with another coach and then I'll join Bob Bowman in Austin later this year.” he assured.
The 22-year-old champion expressed his wish to “breathe and see something else” during these “two or three months”. “I saw with Bob Bowman and he said it was good to see another way of training. It's the right time, I have four years to prepare for Los Angeles, so I have time. I will be able to surf and enjoy Australia. It will change me a little ” he said.
In Australia, Léon Marchand will be able to train with the coach of Ariarne Titmus, double gold medalist in Paris, all in a pleasant setting. “He arrives in a country where swimming is very important, where life is pleasant. At this time it is summer, the structures are in the open air, the pace of view is calmer. It will be a cool recovery, in a very high level environment” then explained Julien Issoulié, DTN of the French Swimming Federation.
