VIDEO. Léon Marchand: “In a way, it’s sad…” The American coach of the star swimmer makes no concessions about his new notoriety

Need to cut. To breathe. Exhausted by a crazy year in 2024, during which he won five medals including four gold at the Paris Olympic Games, Léon Marchand decided to take it easy.

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This is how the native of Toulouse gave up the short course swimming world championships, which are currently being held in Budapest (Hungary). But one of his coaches, the American Bob Bowman, is still present there. On the sidelines of the competition, he returned to his protégé's need for rest. “I supported him in this decision” he began in a statement to several media including RMC.

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And the former mentor of the superstar Michael Phelps (28 Olympic medals including 23 gold) focuses on one of the main reasons for this need for rest: exhaustion due to the explosion of Léon Marchand's popularity . “He got a taste of what his new life is going to be like now. And it's difficult isn't it? It's very stressful, firstly to prepare and swim in the Olympics, to have big performances there. Then there are all the things that come with it, even if they are magnificent, that fall on you. He has to take the time to refocus mentally and get back to training so that we can start right away. first day of the year working for this summer.”

Léon Marchand is back in Toulouse! ?

The swimming champion was back in his hometown and he was very well received by several thousand supporters at Place du Capitole. Between two selfies, he tells us how his life changed. pic.twitter.com/4NTtAysBkI

— La Dépêche du Midi (@ladepechedumidi)

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Bob Bowman continued: “I told him, 'I hope you keep your head on your shoulders and be patient and don't get frustrated with all this attention because it's a lot.' It was. I can help him deal with it, but in the end he just has to learn to incorporate it into his life. And that's hard in a way, and it was. a bit the same thing with Michael (Phelps, Editor's note). When you go up the ladder, you sometimes feel a need for privacy and he won't have that until he's at home somewhere. When he goes out to France, everyone recognizes him. . It's wonderful but it comes with responsibility and he will learn to manage it.”