Amidst a lively crowd, Léon Marchand started his home Olympics with a stellar performance, clocking the fastest time in the 400-meter individual medley preliminaries. The French swimmer, compared to Michael Phelps and coached by the legendary Bob Bowman, comfortably led his heat, finishing in 4 minutes, 8.30 seconds.
Marchand, seeking his first Olympic gold, will be a favorite in the final. The big question remains whether he can break his own world record of 4:02.50 set last year. In other events, David Popovici of Romania impressed in the 200 freestyle prelims, while Tatjana Smith and Lilly King shone in the breaststroke.
Ariarne Titmus, fresh off a win over Katie Ledecky, began her title defense in the 200 free with a strong showing. As the excitement builds in the pool, fans can expect thrilling races and potential world records at the Paris Games.
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