Leon Marchand performed one of the most heroic performances in swimming history at the Paris Olympics.
NANTERRE, France: It turns out that comparisons to Michael Phelps are not an exaggeration when compared to Leon Marchand.
They are certainly not a burden for the 22-year-old Frenchman.
Marchand produced the most daring pairs swim in history on Wednesday night, winning the 200m butterfly and 200m breaststroke about two hours apart in front of a home crowd that cheered his every stroke.
Two brutal races, two very different tempos, two Olympic records, two gold medals.
Take that, Phelps, who won two gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, setting a new record.
“I’m a very shy person,” Marchand said. “I was the center of attention throughout both tournaments. I tried to draw energy from the crowd. They were great for me. They pushed me in every final.”
Marchand thrilled French fans and even drew attention on a night when Katie Ledecky won another gold medal, winning his second and third at La Defense Arena and making a name for himself — as one of the faces of the Olympics that began less than a week ago.
After beating world record holder and defending Olympic champion Kristof Milak in the 200m butterfly with the greatest final kick in history, Marchand made it look easy in the 200m breaststroke.
He led the entire way, clocking a time of 2 minutes and 5.85 seconds, as more than 15,000 fans, many of whom held cardboard cutouts of his smiley face, nearly caused the roof of La Defense Arena to collapse.
“Leon! Leon! Leon!” they shouted, a chant that would continue throughout the night in Paris.
Marchand keeps things going
Marchand overtook Hungary's Milak on the final lap, trailing for much of the 200m butterfly, before finishing in an Olympic record time of 1:51.71 and taking the lead with a slightly faster time.
Marchand's final lap was nearly 0.66 seconds faster than anyone else in the field, leaving Milák 1.26 seconds behind.
“I’ve watched his races many times,” Marchand said. “I knew he was much faster than me, so I just tried to get as close as I could and then I just kept accelerating to the finish line.”
The bronze medal went to Ilya Karun from Canada.
After his emphatic victory in the 400m medley on Sunday, Marchand waved one finger and shook his head slightly, as if he couldn't quite believe what he had accomplished.
He then hurried down from the rooftop amid another round of cheers to begin his warm-up, although those preparations were cut short as he had to return to the victory ceremony as ordered.
After a joyful singing of “La Marseillaise,” the other two medallists slowly walked around the pool for photos.
No, Marchand. He rushed back to the training pool. There was another match to go.
Ledecky's Golden Record
The American star made the most of her guest appearance on The Marchand Show by winning her seventh individual Olympic gold medal. She also won a relay gold and her 12th overall medal with a dominant victory in the 1,500-meter freestyle.
Ledecky, 27, has now tied the record for most medals won by a female swimmer, with fellow Americans Dara Torres, Natalie Coughlin and Jenny Thompson. Ledecky previously held the record for most individual gold medals won by a female swimmer in the event.
“I try not to think about the history too much,” Ledecky said. “But I know those names. Those guys I was in the same league with, those swimmers I looked up to when I first started swimming. So for me to be named one of them is a huge honor.”
Ledecky took the lead from the start and gradually overtook her, clocking an Olympic record time of 15:30.02 minutes in the women's program at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
The race was similar to the one three years ago, with Ledecky far ahead and others battling for silver.
French rider Anastasia Kirpichinikova finished almost half a lap behind but stunned the home fans by taking second place on the podium in a time of 15:40.35.
The bronze medal went to Germany's Isabel Gosse with a time of 15:41.16.
After starting the Paris Games with a bronze medal in the 400m freestyle, the result looks more familiar to Ledecky.
She was clearly thrilled to be up there again, splashing water and throwing punches as she crossed the deck, a rare display of emotion for a resilient athlete who performs with machine-like efficiency.
“I know a lot of other people expect that from me,” Ledecky said. “That’s not easy. I mean, it’s not easy to always follow through and get the job done.”
Marchand returns to claim gold
As Ledecky walked off the stage with her gold medal, it was time for Marchand to grab her second of the night.
No problem, he broke the Olympic record in the 200m breaststroke with a time of 2:05.85, overtaking another champion from Tokyo.
Australia's Zach Stubblety-Cook took the silver medal, finishing almost a second behind in 2:06.79, while the bronze went to Casper Corbo of the Netherlands.
“The most exciting part of the competition was watching him soak up the atmosphere and the good times,” Stubblety-Cook said. “I think it’s brilliant. It’s brilliant for the sport of swimming and it’s great to see half the 15,000 people chanting someone’s name and watching the swim live.”
Marchand climbed out of the pool and stared at the scoreboard. He tossed his curly hair a few times, then raised his arms.
His job was done in a matter of hours, at least. Next up is the 200 medley, which will begin with qualifying on Thursday morning.
“I’m so proud of him,” said American coach Bob Bowman, who also coached Phelps. “That was a great, historic effort.”
Chinese swimmer Pan Zhanle sets first world record in Paris
Almost all the excitement was lost when China's Pan Zhanle set the first world record in the sport, breaking his own record in the 100-meter freestyle.
He won in 46.40 seconds, easily beating the 46.80 seconds he set at the world championships in Doha in February.
It was an impressive feat considering the shallow waters at La Defense Arena were a major reason why no world records were broken during the first four days of competition.
Australia's Kyle Chalmers took silver and Romania's David Popovici took bronze.
Sweden's gold medal for five-time Olympian Sjostrom
Sarah Sjostrom celebrated her fifth Olympic gold medal with victory in the 100m freestyle.
Sjostrom reduced her swimming program at the last two world championships to just the 50m freestyle. She decided to add the 100m freestyle at the Paris Olympics, and it paid off.
She won in 52.16 seconds, with the US taking home another silver, their eighth of the season, as Torri Huske crossed the line in 52.29 seconds, while Hong Kong's Siobhan Haughey took the bronze.
