11 Fun Facts About Leon Marchand

Are you interested to learn some fun facts about Leon Marchand?

Born on May 17, 2002, in Toulouse, France, our star athlete – Leon Marchand – is a real talent. At just 21 years old, he is already a big name in the swimming world.

Standing tall at 6 feet 2 inches and weighing around 170 pounds, Marchand’s  build certainly gives him an edge in excelling at the sport, despite not having bulging muscles.

Related Read: French Athletes To Watch Out For In Olympics 2024

Marchand is a pro at different strokes like breaststroke, individual medley, and butterfly. He took his abilities to Arizona State University, becoming a key player on the college’s swim team.

Not only did this help the French swimmer fine-tune his skills, but it also added to their achievements in the sport.

Leon Marchand is making a splash on the national and even international scene. His mix of hard work, mad skills, and pure dedication make him quite a force to be reckoned with in his chosen sport.

Keep scrolling if you want to learn more fun facts about Leon Marchand.

11 Fun Facts About Leon Marchand

1. Swimming exellence runs in the Marchand family

The talented young swimmer has an impressive background, being the son of former French medley swimmers, Xavier Marchand and Céline Bonnet.

Xavier Marchand, Leon’s dad, took part in two consecutive Summer Olympics for France, beginning in 1996 in Atlanta, USA. He won a silver medal in the 200-meter individual medley at the 1997 European Aquatics Championships.

On the other hand, Leon’s mom, Celine Bonnet, was a skilled backstroke and medley swimmer herself, representing France in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.

2. At age 7, Leon Marchand quit swimming because the water was too cold

Leon Marchand was just 7 years old when he decided to stop swimming. It wasn’t because his parents wanted him to join a family business or because he was avoiding hard work. Nope, the youngster stopped because he found the water too cold!

3. His parents encouraged him to give other sports a try

Leon Marchand’s parents, Xavier and Celine, who are both former professional swimmers themselves, didn’t mind at all when he decided to try out different sports like rugby instead of sticking to just swimming. In fact, they encouraged him to explore various interests.

However, Leon quickly realized that he wasn’t as skilled on solid ground as he was in the water. So, when he was 9 years old, he happily embraced his destiny and returned to swimming!

4. Marchand trains under the coach who played a crucial role in Michael Phelps’ career

Leon Marchand hones his swimming skills at Arizona State University, where he’s guided by none other than Robert “Bob” Bowman. Currently, he is the head coach for the Arizona State Sun Devils swimming and diving teams.

Bob Bowman isn’t just tied to university coaching, however. He is also the coach for the American team in the world championships. You might have heard of Bowman as the coach who led the legendary American swimmer Michael Phelps to win 23 Olympic gold medals.

5. Leon Marchand broke the French record in the 200 meter breaststroke in 2022

In 2022, during the Spanish Summer Championships held in Sabadell, Spain, Leon Marchand did something really impressive. He swam the 200 meter breaststroke in just 2 minutes and 8.76 seconds, breaking the previous French record. It’s a big achievement for the young swimmer and shows how fast and skilled he is in his chosen sport.

6. He was the first man since Michael Phelps to complete the 200 IM (SCY) in 1:36 and the 400 IM (SCY) in 3:28

In early 2023, Marchand clocked in at 1:38.89 in the 200 IM, which was the fastest time for the 2022-2023 NCAA season. Although it was a tad slower than his personal best of 1:37.69 from the 2022 NCAA Championships, that previous record still stands as the NCAA and U.S. Open Record in the 200 IM.

At the same time, Marchand also set a new record in the 400 IM, where he smashed the NCAA and U.S. Open Record with an astonishing time of 3:28.82. This accomplishment was extra special because he became the first swimmer to break the 3:31, 3:30, and 3:29 barriers all in one go.

It also marked a significant milestone, making him the first male swimmer in 17 years to hold the fastest records in both the 200 and 400 IMs in short course yards. The last time this happened was way back in March 2006, when the legendary Michael Phelps held those records.

7. He broke another individual record of Michael Phelps

During the world championships in Fukuoka, located in southwest Japan, Leon Marchand secured the gold medal in a spectacular time of 4 minutes and 2.50 seconds. This achievement shattered the previous record of 4 minutes and 3.84 seconds that Phelps had set back during the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The gap between Marchand and his competitors was impressive. He finished a remarkable 4.06 seconds ahead of the silver medalist, Carson Foster from the United States. Japan’s Daiya Seto secured the bronze medal, finishing nearly 7 seconds after Marchand’s impressive performance.

This accomplishment, which occurred in July 2023, only goes to prove Marchand’s dedication and talent, marking a significant moment in swimming history. It also underscores the legacy left by Michael Phelps while highlighting the rising talents that continue to push the boundaries of the sport.

8. He holds the third-best all-time ranking in both the 200 fly and the 200 IM

Leon Marchand’s rankings are pretty awesome. Even though he hasn’t set world records in his 200-meter races, he’s now sitting at the third-best all-time spot for both the 200 fly (just behind Hungarian Kristof Milak and Phelps) and the 200 IM (trailing American Ryan Lochte and Phelps).

9. Leon Marchand is the 8th man to win 3 individual golds at a single worlds

Leon Marchand wrapped up his world championships in Fukuoka with another incredible achievement – he bagged his 3rd individual gold medal in a row! This accomplishment firmly solidified his position as the top swimmer on the planet.

The young swimming sensation from France joined an elite group of athletes who have also secured three individual gold medals at a single world championship, a list that boasts names like Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte, and the most recent addition, Caeleb Dressel.

10. Leon Marchand almost broke Phelps’ record a year earlier

Back in 2022, during the World Aquatics Championships, Leon Marchand came incredibly close to breaking Phelps’ record, falling short by only 44 hundredths of a second. This highlighted Marchand’s impressive potential and paved the way for his remarkable record-breaking achievement, which happened in 2023.

11. Michael Phelps placed a gold medal around Marchand’s neck with a big smile!

Michael Phelps, often hailed as the greatest swimmer of all time, proudly placed a gold medal around Leon Marchand’s neck. He happily posed for pictures with him and even raised Marchand’s arm in victory when the young French swimmer won the gold medal at the world championships.

Marchand’s incredible performance in the 400-meter individual medley, finishing in 4:02.50, surpassed the previous world record held by Phelps by an impressive 1.34 seconds.