2023-04-16 11:17:28
“Generally, it takes a little time to adapt to the big pool. “Nicolas Castel, trainer of Léon Marchand in Toulouse, had no shortage of arguments to explain in the middle of the week the difference between races in small and large pools. However, his colt lined up four victories in four events contested from Thursday to Saturday, at the Westmont (Illinois) meeting, his first long-pool competition of the year.
Better still, the world champion in the 200m and 400m medley signed the best world performance of the year in the 200m medley this Saturday, during this event counting for the American Pro Series circuit. His time of 1’55’68 even allowed him to dislodge icon Michael Phelps, who had held the distance record on the Pro Series circuit since 2012 and his performance timed at 1’56’32. After having borrowed his coach, Bob Bowman, the Toulousain now steals the records of the man with 28 medals at the Olympics.
Marchand is in his element in the United States, where he trains and studies at Arizona State University. He also largely beat the Americans Shaine Casas and Chaise Kalisz, Olympic champion in the 400m medley. The 20-year-old from Toulouse is only 46 hundredths away from his French record, set at the Budapest World Championship in 2022. He also has the Worlds once again in his sights in 2023. The competition will be held in three months, from July 23 to 30 in Fukuoka (Japan).
Before this victory and this record, the Frenchy had therefore also won the 400 m medley, 200 m butterfly and 200 m breaststroke. An optimal way to stand out again in the water of the pros, three weeks after his three titles sprinkled with three records at the NCAA Finals in Minneapolis.
Marchand will continue his preparation during an altitude training course in Colorado Springs (1800 m). He will be back in France at the beginning of June, a few days before the national championships in Rennes (June 11 to 16), qualifiers for Japan.
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