SINGAPORE (AP) — Léon Marchand’s life changed drastically after he won four gold medals a year ago in the Paris Olympics. He was a national hero and had to adjust — particularly when he was at home in France.
“I have to plan things,” Marchand explained Saturday. “I can’t just go on my own in the city and just go get bread.”
“I know how to say ‘no’ better,” he added. “It gets a lot more peaceful when I travel out of France.”
After swimming under the tutelage of Bob Bowman at the University of Texas at Austin, Marchand is back and will head the field at the swimming world championships — the biggest meet since the Olympics.
It’s also the stepping stone for many toward the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics with races in the pool starting Sunday and running through Aug. 3.
Marchand, Canada’s Summer McIntosh, and Katie Ledecky of the United States were the stars in Paris. They’ll be the swimmers to watch in Singapore, joined by a host of Olympians and younger swimmers who hope to be in Los Angeles in three years.
The youngest in the field is 12-year-old Yu Zidi of China, who could be a medal contender in her three races with times — and youth — that are shocking global swimming.
Marchand will swim only the 200-meter and 400-meter individual medleys and some team relays, opting out of his other gold-medal events in Paris — the 200 butterfly and 200 breaststroke.
“This is a transition year for me, so I wanted to have a lighter schedule than usual,” Marchand said. “I’m really excited to do just less than usual, you know, just to see how far I can go, how fast I can go.”
Marchand will be after the 200 IM record set in 2011 by American Ryan Lochte — 1 minute, 54.00 seconds. He’ll also try to break his own 400 IM record (4:02.50) set at the 2023 worlds in Fukuoka, Japan.
He credits Bowman — famous for coaching Michael Phelps to 23 Olympic gold medals — for pushing him at Texas. Bowman tutors an international cast of swimmers that this fall will also include McIntosh.
“He knows how to be calm in every situation,” Marchand said of Bowman. “I think he taught us throughout the years. He also had a lot of experience on the biggest stage, so I trust him fully.”
Without the stress of two extra races, Marchand is ready to make more history.
“Of course I want to break all the records,” he said. “I don’t know when that’s going to happen”
Many are expecting it in Singapore.
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