Leon Marchand Shatters Olympic Records, Wins Double Gold in Paris

Leon Marchand, the 22-year-old French swimmer, clinched two gold medals at the Paris Olympics 2024, in the 200-meter butterfly and the 200-meter breaststroke, setting a new Olympic record. Trained by Michael Phelps' former coach Bob Bowman, he became the first French swimmer to win three gold medals.

Leon Marchand, a 22-year-old French swimmer, achieved the unthinkable at the Paris Olympics 2024 by winning two gold medals. Under the guidance of Michael Phelps' former coach Bob Bowman, Marchand took gold in both the 200-meter butterfly and the 200-meter breaststroke events.

In an astonishing display, Marchand dethroned a reigning Olympic champion twice within two hours, securing his second gold medal with an Olympic record time of 2:05.85. This monumental feat makes him the first French swimmer to win three gold medals, all within four days at the Paris La Defense Arena, thrilling his home crowd.

'Everyone was telling me it was impossible,' Marchand revealed, crediting his coach Bowman for instilling confidence in him. The swimmer described the rivalry in the 200m butterfly as intense and credited his winning strategy of staying close to Hungary's Kristof Milak before pulling ahead in the final meters.

Marchand acknowledged the support of the French crowd and expressed his excitement over their enthusiasm. Australia's Zac Stubblety-Cook, the previous Olympic champion, finished with a silver medal in the 200m breaststroke, praising Marchand for his fierce competitiveness.

'Leon is an ultimate competitor,' Stubblety-Cook said after finishing 0.94 seconds behind Marchand. He expressed contentment with his silver medal but emphasized that Marchand's performance signaled the arrival of a new swimming star.

Marchand's victory in the 200m butterfly saw him break Milak's Olympic record set in Tokyo 2020, adding another impressive accolade to his name as he emerges as a significant force in the world of competitive swimming.

(With inputs from agencies.)