In the men’s 200m butterfly final, Léon Marchand appeared to approach the limits of his remarkable abilities as he raced against Kristof Milak, the Hungarian world record holder and Tokyo Olympic champion. Marchand was trailing, and in the slow yet sudden nature of distance swimming, the hopes of the 17,000 enthusiastic French fans at La Défense Arena began to wane as they recognized that he was on track to finish in second place.
Milak had maintained a lead of a couple of feet at the halfway mark, which had expanded to nearly a full body length by the time they reached the last turn.
But a silver medal isn’t too shabby. Marchand had already secured a gold earlier in the week during the 400m individual medley, and this final was just one of two races planned for the evening. Not long after, he would contest the 200m breaststroke final—a remarkable achievement by itself. No athlete has ever won medals in both the breaststroke and butterfly events at the same Games, not even legends like Mark Spitz, Michael Phelps, or Ryan Lochte. Indeed, in the long history of the Olympics, only one swimmer had competed in finals for both strokes, and that was back in 1956.
To accommodate Marchand’s quest, World Aquatics had to adjust the event schedule. Initially, the races were slated to be back-to-back since it had never occurred to the organizers that anyone would dare to attempt both, especially someone like Marchand, who had never participated in the breaststroke at an international championship. The enormity of his challenge became evident right from the start as Milak surged ahead, slicing through the water like a predator.
Then, everything changed.
Everyone present could recount the moment it happened. However, watching the race multiple times would be necessary to fully comprehend how it unfolded, and even then it might remain confusing. One instant Marchand was behind, and in the blink of an eye, he surged forward. In just 25m off the final turn, he glided past Milak, whose frantic strokes became increasingly desperate as Marchand took over the lead. Not only did he secure victory, but he also broke the Olympic record, finishing in 1 minute 51.21 seconds—over a second faster than his previous personal best.
Initially, the crowd’s reaction was unrecognizable. The electric atmosphere had built throughout the day, heightened by storm clouds looming overhead. All at once, as Marchand approached the final length, the tension broke loose. The stands shook with excitement, and the stadium announcer’s voice was completely drowned out by the roar of fans chanting Marchand’s name. He took a breath, raised his hand in triumph, and quickly exited for his warm-down. An hour later, he was back to collect his medal.
Then he repeated the feat. Another gold, another personal best, and yet another Olympic record. This time, it was Marchand who started strong, and despite former champion Zac Stubblety-Cook’s best efforts, he couldn’t close the gap. Marchand made the final race feel like a true crowning moment. They affectionately refer to him as Le Roi Léon, and his graceful breaststroke was a fitting way to approach the throne.
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This unassuming, self-assured young man, with his infectious smile and a mass of curly blond hair, has risen to the occasion. Despite seeming like a long shot entering the Games, given his status as a world champion and world record holder, he was relatively untested in front of live audiences. He had never even claimed an Olympic medal before, let alone done so amidst the expectations of millions. Here in Paris, a towering 600-foot image of him graces the side of the only skyscraper within the city limits, posing a significant challenge, yet he handles it with the same grace as Gene Kelly dancing with his umbrella.
Marchand is a product of the sport; both of his parents represented France in the 200m medley at the Olympics—his mother, Céline, in Barcelona 1992, and his father, Xavier, in Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000. They, alongside a small team of trusted coaches, including Bob Bowman, who mentored Phelps, have played a vital role in nurturing his career. Yet the extraordinary talent belongs to him and him alone, shining brilliantly.
