Leon Marchand Dominates Again in 400 IM, Relay Win; ‘This Was the Top Night of Fun (in My Career)’

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

NCAA Men’s Championships: Leon Marchand Dominates Again in 400 IM Win

It continues to be Leon Marchand‘s time to shine.

After wowing the swimming world the past couple of years with his record-breaking performances all over the world, and the Paris Olympics on the horizon, the 2024 Division I Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships have put the Arizona State swimmer from France in the middle of the spotlight.

And he has delivered every time he has entered the water.

After shattering his own NCAA record in the 500 freestyle – by four seconds – on Day 2, it was time for the 400 IM on Day 3.

Marchand, who held the record at 3:28.82 coming into the meet and he got to the wall in 3:32.12 to win the event once again. It was three seconds faster than prelims but also about three seconds off his record from last year.

Another win, then Arizona State’s first-ever relay win, and it was another incredible night.

“That was the top one (fun night of swimming in my career),” Marchand said. “We have done so many relays when we got second and we got the job done. It was the moment to do it. It was really fun.”

In the finals, he was off to a narrow lead at the 50 (21.95) and gained a little more at the 100 (47.26) as he flipped to the backstroke leg. At the 150 hi was at 1:13.76 and two body lengths ahead of the field.

It remained about a two-body-length lead through the breaststroke as teammate David Schlicht was next.

When he moved to the freestyle, it was a three-body-length lead as Marchand picked up his kick and put some more distance between himself and the field.

It was the third-fastest performance in history and Marchand has eight of the top 10 performances.

“I don’t think I did a really good job recovering yesterday. My legs were really tired – it makes sense – but it is tough to do the 500 free and 400 IM. But also, I was really focused on that relay. I think I lost my rhythm in the freestyle (of the IM) a little bit. But it was still fine, a 3:32 – I haven’t done that many (that fast).”

Schlicht finished second in 3:35.27.

“It was a great race. David is one of my best friends. Doing that (1-2) was amazing,” Marchand said in the on-deck interview.

Texas A&M sophomore Baylor Nelson put together a strong race to take third in 3:37.46.

SMU’s Jack Hoagland finished fourth in 3:37.53, for his best time since before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Georgia senior Jake Magahey took fifth (3:37.64), followed by Florida junior Mason Laur (3:37.98), Florida sophomore Gio Linscheer (3:39.90) and Ohio State sophomore Tristan Jankovics (3:40.57).

Event 8  Men 400 Yard IM
=========================================================================
         NCAA: N 3:28.82  3/24/2023 Leon Marchand, ASU
         Meet: M 3:28.82  3/24/2023 Leon Marchand, ASU
     American: A 3:33.42  3/24/2017 Chase Kalisz, Georgia
   U. S. Open: O 3:28.82  3/24/2023 Leon Marchand, ASU
         Pool: P 3:33.42  3/24/2017 Chase Kalisz, Georgia
    Name                 Year School            Prelims     Finals Points 
=========================================================================
                       === Championship Final ===                        
 
  1 Marchand, Leon         JR ASU               3:35.75    3:32.12P  20  
    r:+0.62  21.95        47.26 (25.31)
        1:13.76 (26.50)     1:40.37 (26.61)
        2:09.85 (29.48)     2:39.81 (29.96)
        3:06.49 (26.68)     3:32.12 (25.63)
  2 Schlicht, David        SR ASU               3:37.65    3:35.27   17  
    r:+0.62  23.03        49.22 (26.19)
        1:17.05 (27.83)     1:44.33 (27.28)
        2:14.08 (29.75)     2:44.42 (30.34)
        3:10.10 (25.68)     3:35.27 (25.17)
  3 Nelson, Baylor         SO TAMU              3:38.77    3:37.46   16  
    r:+0.64  23.19        49.76 (26.57)
        1:17.62 (27.86)     1:44.42 (26.80)
        2:14.88 (30.46)     2:45.61 (30.73)
        3:11.87 (26.26)     3:37.46 (25.59)
  4 Hoagland, Jack         5Y SMU               3:39.85    3:37.53   15  
    r:+0.79  23.71        50.66 (26.95)
        1:19.13 (28.47)     1:46.90 (27.77)
        2:16.96 (30.06)     2:48.14 (31.18)
        3:13.51 (25.37)     3:37.53 (24.02)
  5 Magahey, Jake          SR Georgia           3:39.02    3:37.64   14  
    r:+0.73  23.38        50.06 (26.68)
        1:18.62 (28.56)     1:46.17 (27.55)
        2:17.25 (31.08)     2:48.38 (31.13)
        3:13.73 (25.35)     3:37.64 (23.91)
  6 Laur, Mason            JR Florida           3:38.31    3:37.98   13  
    r:+0.64  23.26        49.62 (26.36)
        1:17.68 (28.06)     1:44.79 (27.11)
        2:15.74 (30.95)     2:47.10 (31.36)
        3:12.93 (25.83)     3:37.98 (25.05)
  7 Linscheer, Gio         SO Florida           3:39.36    3:39.90   12  
    r:+0.73  23.62        50.97 (27.35)
        1:19.55 (28.58)     1:47.15 (27.60)
        2:17.87 (30.72)     2:48.70 (30.83)
        3:14.58 (25.88)     3:39.90 (25.32)
  8 Jankovics, Tristan     SO OSU               3:38.49    3:40.57   11  
    r:+0.71  23.64        50.77 (27.13)
        1:19.17 (28.40)     1:46.82 (27.65)
        2:17.45 (30.63)     2:48.77 (31.32)
        3:15.20 (26.43)     3:40.57 (25.37)
 
                        === Consolation Final ===                        
 
  9 Mark Torok, Dominik    SO Wisconsin         3:40.84    3:39.20    9  
    r:+0.63  23.29        49.89 (26.60)
        1:18.33 (28.44)     1:46.23 (27.90)
        2:16.97 (30.74)     2:48.06 (31.09)
        3:13.97 (25.91)     3:39.20 (25.23)
 10 Ponsler, Kyle          SO NC State          3:41.91    3:39.28    7  
    r:+0.67  23.38        50.23 (26.85)
        1:18.29 (28.06)     1:45.56 (27.27)
        2:16.62 (31.06)     2:48.08 (31.46)
        3:14.21 (26.13)     3:39.28 (25.07)
 11 Matheson, Daniel       JR ASU               3:41.53    3:39.70    6  
    r:+0.67  23.61        50.31 (26.70)
        1:19.09 (28.78)     1:47.44 (28.35)
        2:18.33 (30.89)     2:49.48 (31.15)
        3:15.01 (25.53)     3:39.70 (24.69)
 12 Grum, Ian              5Y Georgia           3:40.23    3:40.70    5  
    r:+0.68  22.80        49.53 (26.73)
        1:17.70 (28.17)     1:45.32 (27.62)
        2:17.47 (32.15)     2:49.79 (32.32)
        3:15.72 (25.93)     3:40.70 (24.98)
 13 Martter, Cale          SO ASU               3:41.47    3:40.83    4  
    r:+0.66  23.90        51.06 (27.16)
        1:19.83 (28.77)     1:49.04 (29.21)
        2:18.85 (29.81)     2:49.43 (30.58)
        3:15.84 (26.41)     3:40.83 (24.99)
 14 Schmidt, Danny         SO Auburn            3:41.00    3:41.31    3  
    r:+0.64  23.22        49.73 (26.51)
        1:18.48 (28.75)     1:46.76 (28.28)
        2:17.76 (31.00)     2:49.78 (32.02)
        3:16.44 (26.66)     3:41.31 (24.87)
 15 Kopp, Tyler            SR California        3:40.90    3:42.07    2  
    r:+0.60  24.07        50.83 (26.76)
        1:18.62 (27.79)     1:45.88 (27.26)
        2:17.77 (31.89)     2:49.78 (32.01)
        3:16.63 (26.85)     3:42.07 (25.44)
 16 Gonzalez Pinero, Joaq  JR Florida           3:41.22    3:43.01    1  
    r:+0.60  23.07        49.46 (26.39)
        1:17.43 (27.97)     1:45.34 (27.91)
        2:17.34 (32.00)     2:49.74 (32.40)
        3:16.91 (27.17)     3:43.01 (26.10)
 
                  Men - Team Rankings - Through Event 8                  
 
  1. Arizona St                        248   2. Florida                           187
  3. California                        171   4. Indiana                           107
  5. Texas                             106   6. NC State                          105
  7. Tennessee                          86   8. Stanford                           84
  9. Georgia                            76  10. Auburn                             70
 11. Virginia Tech                      61  12. Ohio St                            53
 13. Michigan                           48  14. Smu                                41
 15. Notre Dame                         39  16. Texas A&M                          37
 17. Louisville                         30  18. Alabama                            26
 19. Florida St                         20  20. Missouri                           19
 21. Minnesota                          17  22. Wisconsin                          16
 23. Miami (Fl)                         15  23. Arizona                            15
 25. Virginia                           12  26. Lsu                                 6
 27. Purdue                              5  28. Brigham Young                       3
 29. UNC                                 2

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