Léon Marchand Height, Age, Girlfriend, Family, Biography & More 2024

Some Lesser Known Facts About Léon Marchand

• Léon Marchand is a French swimmer who holds the world document within the lengthy course 400 metre particular person medley. He broke Michael Phelps‘ world document within the 400 meters particular person medley in July 2023.

• He grew up in a family of swimmers. His father, Xavier Marchand, competed within the 1996 and 2000 Summer Olympics for France, whereas his mom, Céline Bonnet, took half within the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona. 

• According to Léon, firstly, he wasn’t very sporty or aggressive, and a future profession within the sport wasn’t on his thoughts. When he was finding out within the sixth grade, he developed an curiosity in swimming for the primary time. He says,
  

  At the start, I simply did swimming as a result of I needed to do a sport.”

• While rising up in Toulouse, France, Léon began studying the fundamentals of swimming at a really younger age; nevertheless, when he was seven years outdated, he give up swimming as he discovered that the water was too chilly. Léon says,
  

  I used to be like, actually skinny and the pool was simply terrible. So, I give up swimming for 2 years.”

• Later, he tried to take up different sports activities, together with rugby. Although his mother and father inspired him when he determined to pursue different sports activities, Léon was by no means good at different sports activities as he excelled in swimming. So, on the age of 9, he returned to swimming.

• Initially, Marchand was coached by Nicolas Castel, a swimming coach for Les Dauphins du TOEC, a swimming sports activities membership primarily based in Toulouse, France.
  

  Léon Marchand along with his coach Nicolas Castel (proper)

• In April 2019, he gained a French junior champion title within the 200m butterfly held in Rennes. 

• In July 2019, he gained two bronze medals (200m breaststroke and 400m medley) on the European Championships held in Kazan, Russia. 

• In August 2019, he gained bronze within the 400 metre particular person medley, with a French document time of 4:16.37, on the World Junior Swimming Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

• At the 2021 French Elite Swimming Championships in Chartres, Marchand, with a private greatest and French document time of 4:09.65 within the 400 metre particular person medley, certified for the 2020 Summer Olympics.

• At the 2020 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan, he couldn’t get any medals; he was positioned sixth within the 400 metre particular person medley with a 4:11.16, tenth within the 4×100 metre medley relay, 14th within the 200 metre butterfly with a 1:55.68, and 18th within the 200 metre particular person medley with a 1:58.30.
  

  Léon Marchand on the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

• To make him a greater swimmer, his mother and father wished him to depart Toulouse and journey abroad. Léon determined to attend Arizona State University, the place he began coaching below Robert “Bob” Bowman whereas pursuing a level in pc science; Bowman had coached Michael Phelps. According to Léon Marchand, the primary few weeks at ASU had been tough as he needed to study a brand new language and tips on how to deal with himself. Marchand says,
  

  In class, I needed to pay attention lots simply to know. Every day I used to be going to mattress at like 5 p.m. as a result of I used to be lifeless. But it acquired higher. Now, I can do all the things myself, which is a good factor.”

• According to Bowman, whereas watching Phelps in observe, he would typically assume he was watching one thing nobody had ever completed earlier than, and when he began coaching Marchand, he acquired the identical feeling. While coaching Marchand, Bowman discovered his dedication stage nearly just like Michael Phelps’. Bowman says,
  

  They’re very totally different personality-wise, however the way in which they strategy the precise racing and the coaching could be very comparable. They’re very constant on a day-to-day foundation, and at a persistently excessive stage in coaching day by day.”

  

  Bob Bowman (standimg proper alongside the pool facet) watching whereas Léon Marchand practising within the pool

  Bowman as soon as recalled a observe when he challenged Marchand to see how briskly he might swim to which Marchand requested what Phelps’ greatest time was, which was 4 minutes and 23 seconds. Bowman stated,

  So Léon (does) 4:18, and I do know no one’s doing that. And then he swam it at a meet two weeks later, and it was just like the fifth-fastest one ever. So, he’s fairly good at mentally evaluating himself to Michael.”

  On being in contrast with Phelps, Marchand says,

  Sometimes Bob tells me that Michael would have achieved such and such a time. Obviously, I examine myself but it surely’s not the perfect factor to do. But it does inspire me. I’m curious to know issues like that.”

• In his freshman season on the North Carolina State Invite, Marchand broke the varsity document within the 200 fly, 200 and 400 IM, and the 800 free relay.

• At the 2022 NCAA Division I Championships held in Atlanta, United States, Léon registered his first particular person NCAA title win of his freshman 12 months for the Arizona State Sun Devils; he gained within the 200 yard particular person medley. With his time of 1:37.69, Marchand set new NCAA, NCAA Championships, and US Open information. This is taken into account the perfect efficiency of his collegiate profession. On this achievement, Marchand stated,
  

  It was fairly wonderful. I didn’t know I’d be that quick. I used to be simply prepared for the NCAAs and the variation to shock.”

  He additionally broke the document of five-time Tokyo 2020 gold medallist Caeleb Dressel. In an interview, whereas speaking about breaking Caeleb’s document, Marchand stated,

  Four years in the past, my dad confirmed me movies of the NCAA finals. I used to be watching Dressel and saying to myself, that is unimaginable, his laps are loopy. Two years later he gained a great deal of golds at Tokyo 2020. The man was my idol, I didn’t even take into consideration probably beating his document. He congratulated me and was very glad his document had been overwhelmed.”

LÉON MARCHAND WINS THE 200 IM AT 1:37.69, THE FASTEST TIME IN NCAA HISTORY!!! pic.twitter.com/vlT0HOohwr

— Sun Devil Swim/Dive (@ASUSwimDive) March 24, 2022

• At the 2022 Pro Swim Series at Northside Swim Center in San Antonio, United States, Marchand gained silver, setting a brand new French document within the 200 metre particular person medley with a time of 1:56.95.

• At the 2022 World Aquatics Championships held in Budapest, Hungary, he gained gold within the 400 metre particular person medley, setting a brand new European document and Championships document with a time of 4:04.28. He additionally gained gold within the 200 metre particular person medley, changing into the third French swimmer to attain two gold medals in particular person occasions at a single FINA World Aquatics Championships; Laure Manaudou and Florent Manaudou had earlier achieved the feat. With this, Marchand additionally broke his father’s document within the 200m IM.

After 24years I lastly beat my dad❤️🤪#loveYouPapounia pic.twitter.com/DpSEAdBw6O

— ⚜️Léon⚜️ (@leon_marchand) June 24, 2022

• At the 2022 Spanish Summer Championships held in Sabadell, Spain, he set a brand new French document within the 200 metre breaststroke with a time of two:08.76.

• In January 2023, in a twin meet in opposition to the California Golden Bears, Marchand set new NCAA and US Open information within the 400 yard particular person medley with a time of three:31.84.

• At the 2023 Pac-12 Conference Championships, factors earned by Marchand helped Arizona State Sun Devils earn its first staff Pac-12 Conference Championships title.

• In March 2023, his performances contributed to the first-ever top-five end for the Arizona State Sun Devils males’s swim program at a males’s NCAA Division I Swimming and Diving Championships.

• At the 2023 NCAA Championships, with a 1:36.34 within the 200 yard particular person medley, he gained the NCAA title for the second consecutive 12 months.

• In April 2023, he gained the 400 metre particular person medley with a 4:07.80, the 200 metre butterfly with a 1:55.58, the 200 metre breaststroke with a 2:10.52, and the 200 metre particular person medley with a 1:55.69 on the TYR Pro Swim Series.

• At the 2023 French Elite Swimming Championships held in Rennes, he gained the gold medal within the 200 metre breaststroke.

• At the 2023 World Aquatics Championships held in Fukuoka, Japan, he gained within the males’s 400m particular person medley (IM) with a document of 4:02.50, breaking Michael Phelps‘ last-standing individual world record at the 2008 Beijing Olympics by 1.34 seconds. At the victory ceremony, Michael Phelps presented Marchand with the gold medal. On this achievement, Marchand said,
  

  That was insane, one of the most painful things I’ve completed. It was wonderful to do it right here and the time is loopy. It’s glorious, I prepare everyay for that. I’m two seconds sooner than my earlier document, I beat the world document, it’s wonderful… I don’t know what to say, I’m so glad.”

  

  Michael Phelps offered Marchand with the gold medal on the 2023 World Aquatics Championships held in Fukuoka, Japan

• Léon doesn’t thoughts getting himself in contrast with the opposite prime swimmers who’re taller and extra muscular than him. He says,
  

  I’m attempting to point out how one can work with your individual physique. You don’t must be very large or very tall to swim quick or do your individual factor. I simply wish to present that while you’re totally different you’ll be able to (succeed).”

• He loves flying airplanes and needs to get his personal pilot’s license in order that he can fly over the Grand Canyon. According to Marchand, he began getting a pilot’s license in France, and when he moved to the United States, he stored on pursuing to get the identical. In an interview, Marchand talked about this and stated,
  

  I’m attempting to complete my pilot’s license. I began in France however I didn’t have time to do it. I informed myself that I used to be going to complete it within the US. I wish to have my personal pilot’s license. In addition to Arizona, c “is great because you can go see the Grand Canyon, it’s an hour by plane. So it’s really the dream!”