2023-06-13 21:42:39
Even superheroes sometimes have to leave their capes in the locker room. Expected in the 200m butterfly after two excellent outings in the 200m breaststroke and 200m NL, Léon Marchand ran out of fuel on Tuesday. The protege of Bob Bowman, 21, certainly won the national title and a qualification for the Worlds over the distance (in 1′55′’79) but with an aftertaste of unfinished business.
In front of part of his family who arrived in the Rennes stands to support him, the Toulousain had a little shortness of breath. “It was clear that it was hard, I was not relaxed enough on the first hundred meters, I really sin in the last 50, he analyzes, himself quite disappointed. I’m going too high, down, not forward enough… It’s a bit complicated. »
The vice-world champion in the specialty confesses that he has worked less on it this season. “It’s a race that you really have to master from A to Z if you want to swim fast, he continues. That’s what I did when I swam 1′53′’37 (in Budapest last year). All 50 were perfect. Afterwards, there is the fatigue that accumulates. At the French Championships, there are a lot of external things too, it’s not easy to manage all that but I’m still happy with my performance on Monday (1′46′’44 on a 200 m NL that he does not control) and Sunday (fourth performance in history on 200 m breaststroke in 2′06′’59), I will try to recover well and get back on the right foot. »
“I will try things”
Because the American by adoption is only at the half-time of his week in Rennes. There are indeed three races left on his agenda, including his two favorites (200m medley on Wednesday and 400m medley on Thursday). Between the lines, the blue-white-red swimming Superman suggests that we will probably have to wait until the Worlds to see him release a panoply of world record holders.
“I’m going to try things, do things differently from usual, adopt other strategies and I’ll see, he dares. There are plenty of ways to do it and I’m going to try a little bit of everything to see what’s best for me. When I did my 4′04′’28 (in the 400m medley at the Budapest Worlds, second time in history behind Michael Phelps’ 4′03′’84), I had done a very good first 200m (butterfly and backstroke), maybe I’ll focus on backstroke and breaststroke. I like the medley events, I will try to have fun. »
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