2023-07-30 12:05:50
” Breathtaking “, ” amazing “, “historical”… the superlatives with regard to Léon Marchand accumulate, as the French swimmer splashed the planet with his performances during the World Swimming Championships from July 14 to 30, in Fukuoka, Japan.
A phenomenon called Marchand
Pulverizing the last record held by the legendary Michael Phelps in the 400m medley, and obtaining three gold medals in as many individually contested disciplines, the Toulousain has chained the records. In two world championships and five titles obtained (Budapest in 2022 and Fukuoka in 2023), the 21-year-old young man has become the most successful Frenchman in individual at the Worlds, ahead of Camille Lacourt (4 titles) and Laure and Florent Manaudou (3 titles each). World record holder in the 400m medley, he now holds the European record in the 200m medley. “He is detached because he takes pleasure”said his trainer Nicolas Castel. “He does what he wants to do and doesn’t put pressure on himself. He is now in the spotlight but that does not change his habits. »
Do these performances predict a harvest of gold medals for the French team at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games? “We cannot be completely satisfied when we compare certain times obtained during qualifying in Chartres last June with the times obtained in Japan”tempers Gilles Sezionale, president of the French Swimming Federation (FFN). « IIt will be necessary to analyze this assessment with the technical staff of the France team, before the Olympic deadline. “For some swimmers, in particular, we are not at the expected level”judges the boss of French swimming.
A new generation still in formation
Still, through this euphoria around Léon Marchand, the idea of seeing the birth of a new golden generation for French swimming is coming to an end. “For twenty-five years, we have managed to bring out two beautiful generations, ranking France between 4th and 6th place in the world, and now a third appears in the eyes of all, analysis l’historien du sport Thierry Terret. They were taken in hand by talented coaches, with the Paris Games as their clear objective. »
This revival in swimming can be explained by several factors. First, a more collective state of mind. At the head of the excellence center of the National Institute of Sport, Expertise and Performance (Insep) since 2018, Michel Chrétien, coach of Maxime Grousset – a gold medal in 100 m butterfly and two bronze medals (50m butterfly and 100m freestyle) at the 2023 World Championships – restored dialogue between the various French swimming clubs. “Historically, clubs have always operated in their corner. In recent years, there has been a better fluidity between all French coaches and Insep plays a crucial role in this networking.explained Thierry Terret.
The Dutchman Jacco Verhaeren has been added to the French furrow, appointed new director of the French teams in 2021, with a view to preparing for the 2024 Games. Coach of champions like Pieter van den Hoogenband, the man “is listened to by young people, thanks to his CV and his aura”selon Gilles Sectional.
2024, a prolific year?
What do you envision for a bright future? The president of the FFN wants to believe it. “When we were elected in 2017, the level of the French team was quite low. Generally a generation is created after eight to ten years. Today, six years later, we are already reaping the benefits, so it’s interesting. “At Tokyo 2021, our generation was very young. She works a lot, and most of her members are in full progress.believes the leader.
If he concedes that one year from the deadline he is “probably too soon” to project a number of medals at the next Olympic Games, Gilles Sezionale says to himself “rather optimistic”. “Given the trend and evolution, we are on the right track. »
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