Léon Marchand, an amazing prodigy

Written by: Mateo, Reporter in ISFM

1. Léon Marchand: From Teenager to Swimmer

Léon Marchand is a French swimmer, born on May 17, 2002, in Toulouse, France. This young Frenchman, barely 23 years old, was the new star of French swimming at the 2024 Olympics. Léon Marchand broke two world records in 2025: the 200m individual medley (1:52.69) at the World Championships on July 30, and the 200m butterfly (1:50.34) at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Incredible for a young swimmer of 22!

Early Years and Training in Toulouse

• Born in Toulouse in 2002, he began swimming at the age of six with the Dauphins du TOEC club.
• He was trained and coached by Nicolas Castel.
• He won his first French national title in 2019, at the age of 16, in the 200-meter butterfly.
• In 2019, he also won a bronze medal at the European Junior Championships in the 400-meter individual medley.
• In 2020, he became French champion in both the 200-meter butterfly and the 200-meter individual medley.

Transition to the international level in the USA

• In 2021, at the age of 19, he participated in his first Olympic Games in Tokyo.
• That same year, he moved to the United States to attend Arizona State University and train under Bob Bowman, Michael Phelps’ former mentor.

Career & Specialties

• He specializes in individual medley events, as well as butterfly and breaststroke.
• He holds world records in the 200m and 400m individual medley (long course).
• He also holds Olympic records in several events (200m and 400m individual medley, 200m butterfly, 200m breaststroke).
• He comes from a family of swimmers: his father, mother, and uncle are all swimmers.

• The event took place in the Paris La Défense Arena, which had been transformed into a swimming pool.

• From the start, Kristóf Milák, the world record holder, set a blistering pace. At 100m, Milák had completed the swim in approximately 52.86 seconds, while Marchand was slightly behind at around 53.46 seconds. (World Aquatics)

• The race turned in the final 50 meters: Marchand made a huge effort, particularly in the underwater push and the return to the surface after the last turn. He surfaced, then accelerated to overtake Milák in the final lengths. The crowd played a major role: the roar of the arena, especially in the last few meters, carried him. Marchand himself said he was “trying to listen to what was happening around him” to draw energy.

• When he touched the wall, he achieved a time of 1 ’51″21, a new Olympic record, ahead of Milák (1′ 51″75) and the Canadian Ilya Kharun (bronze). This time of 1 ’51″21 is one of the best performances ever achieved over this distance, and the best time ever achieved at the Olympics.

Personal Profile:

Height: 1.87m 

Weight: 77 kg

Occupation: Professional Swimmer

Age: 23

Records: 2 World Records

Written by: Mateo, Reporter in ISFM

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