Another final, another gold, and yet another Olympic record set by Léon Marchand. This achievement came in the 200m individual medley, and when it concluded with a time of 1min 54.06sec, the applause echoed throughout the city, even causing a delay in the track races six miles away at the Stade de France due to the overwhelming cheers in his honor. Back at the swimming venue, Marchand suddenly appeared so exhausted that he could barely lift an arm to celebrate. He clung to the lane divider with a smile before finally pulling himself out of the pool to acknowledge the crowd.
This was Marchand’s 11th race in the span of six days, marking his fourth gold medal and his fourth record. Great Britain’s Duncan Scott was his closest competitor, but in reality, he was a considerable distance behind. Scott secured the silver medal with a time of 1min 55.31sec, earning his eighth Olympic medal—only Jason Kenny has achieved more for Great Britain.
Scott’s silver was Britain’s second of the night, following Ben Proud’s silver in the 50m freestyle. For Proud, this was a much-needed relief. At 29, he had previously claimed two world titles but had finished fourth and fifth in his last two Olympic finals. In Paris, he was just 0.05sec behind Australia’s Cam McEvoy, and although he experienced a moment of regret—“Perhaps I’ll look back at the footage and wish I had gone faster”—that soon transitioned to satisfaction for finally winning an Olympic medal. “It’s not gold, but hey ho, I’m really happy.”
Scott remained calm as well; it was his second-fastest time. However, Marchand’s performance was simply superior. “I’d like to think I went head to head with Leon for part of the race,” he reflected, “but the guy is the best 200m breaststroker, 200 fly swimmer, 200 medley swimmer, and 400 medley swimmer in the world. It’s a genuine honor to compete against him in this setting. The crowd was incredible; it was sensational to be a part of.”
Britain’s Ben Proud, left, alongside bronze medallist Florent Manaudou of France, with 50m freestyle champion Cameron McEvoy of Australia. Photograph: Natacha Pisarenko/AP
Scott had also finished second at the Tokyo Olympics three years back. While it was difficult for him to accept the runner-up position once more, it offered some solace knowing he had lost to one of the greatest athletes in history. Additionally, beating China’s Wang Shun—who finished third—was a small consolation. Wang was one of the 11 Chinese swimmers competing in Paris who had previously tested positive for a trace amount of the banned substance TMZ and was permitted to compete as authorities deemed the positive was due to food contamination.
For a fleeting moment, it appeared Wang might surpass Marchand. He was ahead after the butterfly leg and closely followed him after the backstroke. However, Marchand surged ahead during the breaststroke, creating an insurmountable lead by the end of that 50m segment, leaving no chance for anyone to gain on him during the freestyle. Marchand’s breaststroke is one of the most captivating sights of these Games; his elegant, extended stroke gives the illusion that he is gliding effortlessly, even while he cruises ahead of the competition.
The 200m medley was the gold medal Marchand desired the most of the four he aimed to capture this week. His mother, Céline, had competed in the 200m medley at the Barcelona Games in 1992, finishing 14th, and his father, Xavier, participated in Atlanta in 1996, placing eighth, and in Sydney in 2000, finishing seventh. Emmanuel Macron attended to witness Marchand achieve what his parents could not, and he was shouting and celebrating alongside thousands of other passionate French fans in the arena. Regardless of what transpires moving forward, Marchand will be one of the standout reasons these Games will be fondly remembered in France.
Duncan Scott claimed his eighth Olympic medal with silver in the 200m medley, placing him second on the list of British medallists, trailing only Sir Jason Kenny. Photograph: Peter Byrne/PA
Despite this, Marchand’s victory may not have been the most celebrated medal won by France that night. Just twenty minutes earlier, Florent Manaudou clinched the bronze in the 50m freestyle, finishing behind Proud and McEvoy. At 33, Manaudou is the oldest male swimmer in the competition and one of the most cherished. He won gold in this event in London, followed by a silver in Rio, before taking a break from swimming to play handball in the French second division—a quirky choice that endeared him to the French public.
After returning for the Tokyo Games, where he again earned silver, he persevered for this Paris appearance. “Honestly, the highlight for me was sharing the podium with Florent Manaudou,” said Proud. “This is the fourth time he’s been on the podium; he’s completed the set, so when I saw his name up there, I just thought, ‘Wow, that’s incredible.’” Swimming has frequently taken a backseat to athletics at the Olympics, but here in Paris, Marchand, Manaudou, and the French team have elevated it to a level not seen since Michael Phelps’ record-breaking performance in Beijing 2008.
Fittingly, it was indeed one of Phelps’ old Olympic records from those very Games that Marchand broke. The king is dead, long live the king.
