Image Credit: Getty Images
Léon Marchand has taken the 2024 Olympics by storm. The prominent French swimmer is known for his exceptional skills in medley and butterfly competitive events. Léon came onto the international stage with iconic performances at both the European Championships and World Championships. He earned multiple medals and broke Michael Phelps‘ last record by more than a second after winning gold for the men’s 400-meter medley event at the 2024 games.
Hollywood Life has compiled everything you need to know about the swimming champion, below.
Leon Is From France
The athlete was born in Toulouse, France, and is currently 22 years old.
He Has the Same Coach as Michael Phelps
In 2021, Léon left France and moved to the United States to train at Arizona State University with the help of coach Bob Bowman, who is known for coaching Michael. This was a turning point in Léon’s career, as he went on to impress the world in international competitions. At the 2022 World Championships in Budapest, Marchand won gold in the 200-meter and 400-meter individual medley, which effectively set a European record in the 400-meter IM.
Coach Bowman explained how he and Léon work together during a previous interview with SwimSwam.
🇫🇷 Leon Marchand 400m IM #Swimming🥇Fukuoka 2023 WR ➡️ 🥇#Paris2024 OR pic.twitter.com/F1Z7BCOCba
— World Aquatics (@WorldAquatics) July 29, 2024
“The last thing you want to do with a high-level swimmer is make them dependent on their coach,” Bob noted. “Leon is very good at knowing what he needs to do and how he needs to do it. We also have built in a system of routines that are basically automatic at this meet. All he needs to know is when his event starts and that lets him know when he’s going to warm up, when he’s going to put his suit on, when he’s going to go to the ready room, what to do after — he’s got a whole thing. He doesn’t really have to make a lot of decisions at the meet, and that’s by design, because the last thing you want to be doing at the Olympics is trying to figure that out. That just has to be part of your DNA at that point.”
Leon Is a Student at Arizona State University
Although he’s a top swimmer, Léon is a junior in college, studying computer science at Arizona State University.
His Parents Are Also Swimmers
Léon’s dad, Xavier Marchand, and mom, Céline Bonnet, raised him into the competitive life as a swimmer. Both parents competed in different Olympic Games in the 1990s.
Leon Lives in Texas
Although he hails from France and represents his country at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Léon reportedly lives in Austin, Texas.
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