Commentary: Fittingly, Leon Marchand Attacking Double That is Stuff of Legends
Around 8:45 on Tuesday night, an overwhelming roar echoed through La Defense Arena as the venue’s spectators rose out of their seats. It wasn’t difficult to figure out what was happening. The enhanced decibel level meant the home-nation hero of the Olympic Games was walking toward the starting blocks for the semifinals of the 200-meter butterfly.
About 75 minutes later, the scene repeated itself. Spectators hollered. Some whistled. Cameras and cell phones snapped photographs and captured video. This time, the Face of the Paris Games approached the starting blocks for the semifinals of the 200 breaststroke.
Leon Marchand is already a national treasure. He reached that status on Sunday night, when the 22-year-old delighted France by capturing the gold medal in the 400-meter individual medley. That victory arrived in style, as Marchand torched the field with the No. 2 performance in history, an effort that narrowly trailed only his world record.
A day off followed Marchand’s entry into French sporting lore and allowed him the opportunity to reset for the remainder of the nine-day competition. As much as his initial gold was a major achievement, Marchand is seeking much more at this home Olympiad. Look no further than the double-duty he pulled on Day Four of action.
It’s one thing to contest multiple events at a collegiate meet or Pro Series stop in San Antonio. Marchand has embraced many of those sessions, whether during his stellar collegiate career at Arizona State University or during long-course preparation that has taken him to USA Swimming competitions around the country.
But the Olympic Games is an entirely different entity. It’s every-fourth-year nature ratchets up the pressure on the athletes, who don’t know whether this first, second or third opportunity might be their last. It’s a stage on which the margin for error is minimal, when all athletes are seeking to peak and where one error can be the difference between a moment of glory and heartache.
In preparation for the Games, scheduling decisions are the norm for the world’s multi-event stars. What combinations work? Is there enough rest between events? What is the risk/reward of embracing a program with multiple entries? These are just a few of the questions that arise and are answered differently following athlete-coach conferences.
For Marchand, there were certain guarantees related to his schedule. At least three events was always part of the plan, with two of those disciplines the 200 individual medley and 400 individual medley. What to do beyond those events required discussion between Marchand and coach Bob Bowman – and some power brokers in the sport.
At the 2023 World Championships, Marchand earned gold in three events. His medley double, which was anticipated, was complemented by a title in the 200 butterfly. Yet, as Marchand and Bowman gazed ahead to Paris, they looked at the option of racing both the 200 fly and 200 breaststroke. One problem. The events occupied the same dates on the schedule, proving a conundrum.
Sure, Marchand is as adept as anyone on the planet at handling doubles. But the original Olympic schedule had the finals of the 200 fly and 200 breast back-to-back, making that double an impossibility. So, to give Marchand an opportunity, the French Federation lobbied World Aquatics for a change. Ultimately, the governing body shuffled the program, moving the final of the 200 breaststroke to the penultimate slot in the session – and nearly two hours after the final of the 200 butterfly.
Credit World Aquatics for its decision. No, not all parties were happy with the shift, but sports are built around the athletes. If one needs to be accommodated for a chance at history, and to attract greater attention, make the move.
As for Marchand, credit the young Frenchman for chasing this double. It’s not going to be easy. Never was. The 200 butterfly features Hungarian Kristof Milak, the world-record holder, and the 200 breaststroke includes reigning Olympic champ Zac Stubblety-Cook of Australia. Nonetheless, Marchand wanted to test himself at the ultimate level – and it doesn’t get any better than the Olympic stage.
Marchand opened the night by winning his semifinal of the 200 butterfly, and earning the second seed for the final. There, Marchand will duel with Hungary’s Kristof Milak, the reigning Olympic champion and world-record holder. A little more than an hour later, Marchand sped to the fastest time in the semifinals of the 200 breaststroke.
If Marchand finds a path to double gold on Wednesday night, the evening will go down as one of the great performances in swimming history. Get Marchand’s suit. Get his cap. Prepare them for display at the International Swimming Hall of Fame. That’s the level of difficulty we’re talking about. If Marchand comes up short, such is sporting life. Not all pursuits come to fruition.
The beauty is that Marchand is taking on this challenge. He is seeking out greatness, similar to how a certain 28-time Olympic medalist asked: What can I do? He is not afraid to fail. He wants to test his limits.
That approach is what makes legends.
