Léon Marchand achieved what French followers might need thought was his future when he swept his option to a fourth gold medal in his native Paris, successful the lads’s 200m particular person medley in an Olympic-record time.
Marchand took management of the race within the second backstroke leg and prolonged his lead within the breaststroke to the cheers of an enthusiastic crowd on the La Défense Enviornment on Friday. He completed in 1 minute, 54.06 seconds, simply 0.06 seconds off Ryan Lochte’s time of 13 seconds.
Britain’s Duncan Scott gained silver, greater than a second behind Marchand, whereas China’s defending champion Wang Shun gained bronze.
The victory made Marchand the primary French athlete to win 4 particular person gold medals (slightly than workforce gold) at a single Summer time Olympics and the third after Individuals Michael Phelps and Mark Spitz The primary male swimmer to obtain this honor.
The 22-year-old gained the 400m particular person medley final Sunday and the 200m butterfly and 200m breaststroke in an unbelievable two hours on Wednesday.
Such enormous expectations might need been an excessive amount of for different swimmers competing at residence, however Marchand drew power from them and lived as much as his nickname, the “French Michael Phelps.”
“He now guidelines France”
A delighted French President Emmanuel Macron raised his fist in celebration on a terrace adorned with French flags.
“That is my final particular person remaining, so I mentioned to myself, I actually should take pleasure in it,” Marchand advised reporters.
“I’ve extra power than yesterday, so I really feel higher and extra relaxed.
“I actually needed to have enjoyable within the final remaining and for this to occur, it means quite a bit.”
As he had carried out 3 times earlier than, the 22-year-old from Toulouse took the rostrum and sang the Marseillaise with the whole stadium at his facet.
“Leon’s identify appears to be within the nationwide anthem now, which is fairly cool,” mentioned Scott, who prolonged his British document to eight Olympic medals.
“Although what Phelps did was fairly sensational, he by no means did it in his residence nation, so he is now changing into a worldwide famous person. He is dominating France now.
Marchand mania! 🥇
Leon Marchand simply shy of world document as he wins #gold Represented the French workforce within the males’s 200m particular person blended occasion. 🇫🇷
The 22-year-old gained his fourth gold medal #paris2024.@frencholympics | @worldwatersports | #swim #Samsung | #togetherfortomorrow pic.twitter.com/I39kwQqL9l
— Olympics (@Olympics) August 2, 2024
Kelly McKeown completes backstroke double once more
Simply minutes earlier than Muschamp stepped into the pool, Australia’s Kelly McKeon set an Olympic document of two minutes, 03.73 seconds, forward of American Regan Smith (2:04.26) and Canada’s Kelly Masse (2:00). 05.57), defending her 200m title.
McKeown admitted that “by no means in 1,000,000 years” would she have dreamed of finishing the Olympic backstroke double – twice.
The 23-year-old achieved the uncommon feat after successful gold within the 100m, matching her efficiency in Tokyo. The unassuming swimmer has been flawless at two Olympics, successful in 4 particular person occasions. Gained 4 gold medals.
No Australian swimmer, male or feminine, has ever accomplished the 100-200m backstroke duet at consecutive Olympic Video games.
“By no means in 1,000,000 years,” she mentioned in Paris when requested if she had ever imagined such an achievement.
“Rising up, I’ve all the time admired my sister [Taylor] and Emily Seebohm, take a look at what they did within the sport,” she mentioned.
McEvoy wins 50m freestyle gold
McEwen’s compatriot Cameron McEvoy beat Britain’s Ben Proud to win the lads’s 50m freestyle gold.
McEvoy gained in 21.25 seconds, with Proud taking silver 0.05 seconds behind and France’s Florent Manaudou taking bronze.
For Manadu, it was his fourth consecutive medal within the shortest freestyle occasion.
McEvoy, 30, gained his first Olympic gold medal with two relay bronze medals in Rio and a 3rd in Tokyo.
After the Tokyo Olympics, the Queenslander selected to shift his focus solely to the 50m freestyle, fully altering his coaching routine to greatest swimsuit the depth of the competitors.
