2023-07-21 16:28:08
By the time of arriving in Fukuoka, the French star Léon Marchand holds the best world performance of the year in the 400m medley.
The Blues are heading to the Fukuoka World Swimming Championships in Japan from Sunday with a solid team that hopes to take advantage of Léon Marchand’s wave before turning to the big home Olympics meeting next year. Named best swimmer in the competition last year, Léon Marchand took advantage of the World Championships to make a sensational entry into the world swimming elite, winning three medals, including two gold, at the end of a dream week.
By the time of arriving in Fukuoka, Marchand had the best world performances of the year in the 400m medley (4 min 07 sec 80) and 200m breaststroke (2 min 06 sec 59), and remained on the Championships of France convincing if not flamboyant last month in Rennes. “The times were satisfactory, after that I will have to swim faster anyway (at the Worlds). But I prepare for it everyday so it’ll do“, assured the 21-year-old swimmer, who should be the big star of the Games next summer in Paris.
In Japan, he will compete in the 200 and 400 m medley as well as the 200 m butterfly. He is also registered in the 200m breaststroke and should take part in several relays. But it is especially on the 400 m medley that the French arouses the most excitement, as the old world record of Michael Phelps (4 min 03 sec 84) seems within reach.
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“Cherry on the cake”
«(Records) it’s not what motivates me, it’s more like a little icing on the cake“, he says, however. “When you break a record, no one has swum faster in the world, so it’s pretty special. It’s not my main goal but I think I have to go through it to really get what I want.»
In Budapest, Marchand’s exploits kicked off a successful week for French swimming, which had won eight medals and is hoping for the same positive spiral this year.The success of some is the success of others», Appreciates the DTN Julien Issoulié. “It brings an undeniable increase in performance for our swimming. All the others will want to get on their level or try to be there and that will make the whole thing progress.»
In the shadow of Marchand, Maxime Grousset has continued to progress since his emergence on the international scene at the Tokyo Olympics, when he finished fourth in the 100m freestyle final (in 47 sec 72). The 24-year-old New Caledonian, double medalist last year with silver in the 100m and bronze in the 50m, hopes to interfere this year in the announced duel between Australian Kyle Chalmers and Romanian David Popovici in the queen race. “I like confrontation, I like winning. It is above all the desire to beat others that gives me energy“, he warns.
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“Make an impression”
A sure bet for the French team for more than ten years, Florent Manaudou, 32, hopes to play the leading roles in his favorite distance of the 50m freestyle after showing promising form at the French Championships. The women of the France team can also shine during the week, like Marie Wattel, vice-world champion in the 200m butterfly, or Analia Pigrée and Mélanie Hénique, in bronze last year.
On the road to the Games, these Worlds mark an important step in calibrating against the competition, underlines Julien Issoulié: “From the moment we find the others, there are always spirits to mark, points and places to take.»
It will then be time to turn to Paris. “I’m so focused on the moment. I want to be the most successful now», confides Marie Wattel. «But at the same time, it’s starting to go up, we feel that it’s there, it’s in a year now!»
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