World Championships, Day Four Finals: Leon Marchand Destroys Field In 200 Butterfly For Second Title of Week

Leon Marchand of France competes in the 200m Butterfly Men Heats during the 20th World Aquatics Championships at the Marine Messe Hall A in Fukuoka (Japan), July 25th, 2023.

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World Championships, Day Four Finals: Leon Marchand Destroys Field In 200 Butterfly For Second Title of Week

It’s not easy to be one of the faces of the sport. Every performance is dissected. Pressure is amplified. Requests for time multiply. This is the world of France’s Leon Marchand at the moment, and for the foreseeable future. Yet, the 21-year-old is handling his situation with aplomb, a veteran’s poise found in – perhaps – swimming’s biggest superstar.

As the World Championships hit their midway point on Wednesday night, Marchand claimed his second title of the competition with a sterling show in the 200-meter butterfly. Racing out of Lane Five as the second seed, Marchand became the No. 3 performer in history with a stunning time of 1:52.43. The victory complemented the Frenchman’s gold in the 400 individual medley from the opening night of action, when he confined Michael Phelps’ final world record to history.

Sitting fifth after the first lap at the Marine Messe Hall, Marchand asserted himself on the second 50 meters, taking a lead that would not be relinquished. At the midpoint of the race, Marchand owned a .34 advantage. He was .39 ahead at the 150-meter mark and pulled away over the last length. The silver medal went to Poland’s Krzysztof Chmielewski in 1:53.62 while Japan’s Tomoru Honda, to the delight of the home-nation crowd, was the bronze medalist in 1:53.66.

Tying for fourth were teenagers Ilya Kharun of Canada and American Thomas Heilman, behind efforts of 1:53.82. Heilman’s time bettered his National Age Group (NAG) standard in the 15-16 classification.

The silver medalist in this event at last summer’s World Champs, Marchand moved up a step on the podium and was nearly a second faster than the 1:53.37 he managed in Budapest. The outing accounted for only half of Marchand’s workload on the evening, as he later contested the semifinals of the 200 individual medley.

Marchand entered four individual events in Fukuoka, but will bypass the 200 breaststroke to focus on the final of the 200 IM. The multi-event program is his latest chance to assimilate to the demands of a packed week. Not only is Marchand managing a daunting race schedule, he’s starting to see an enhanced focus from the media – something that will intensify with the 2024 Olympic Games slated for his backyard of Paris.

“This is really good training for me,” Marchand said. “I want to add more swims in the next few years and I think this afternoon was good for that.”

By adding the 200 fly title to his portfolio, Marchand is now a world champion in three different events during his career. In an era in which specialists are not uncommon and more nations than ever producing elite athletes, the French star is further emulating the efforts of Phelps, sport’s GOAT and a guy who event range is legendary.

“I have one more race and then the relays with the team,” he said. “I’m just trying to enjoy the moment and keep going. It’s been very good the past few days, so I’m trying to enjoy it.”

The 200 butterfly went off without its world-record holder, Kristof Milak of Hungary. The reigning Olympic titlist and two-time world champion announced in mid-June that he was withdrawing from the meet to work through mental and physical exhaustion. Milak plans to be at the Paris Games to defend his Olympic crown.

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Joe

9 months ago

Marchand destroyed the field, but still two seconds behind Milak