Leon Marchand, the world record holder in swimming, captured the 400 meters individual medley gold at the Paris Olympics, delighting fans at La Defense Arena. Known as the “French Michael Phelps,” the 22-year-old showcased his exceptional talent by breaking the Olympic record with a time of four minutes and 2.95 seconds.
Marchand, who carried the weight of a nation’s expectations, dominated his competition, leaving silver medalist Tomoyuki Matsushita from Japan and bronze medalist Carson Foster from the U.S. in his wake. This victory not only secured Marchand’s place as a swimming phenom but also made him France’s first Olympic champion in the individual medley event.