France’s Léon Marchand dominates the Paris Olympic pool : NPR

NANTERRE, France – You could not stage Léon Marchand’s coronation any higher.

Over the past week, earlier than an adoring and at occasions tumultuous dwelling crowd in Paris, the younger Frenchman with a mop of blond hair has emerged as the following massive title in worldwide Olympic swimming.

Marchand, age 22, had by no means received a gold medal earlier than these Summer time Video games. He is now claimed 4 particular person gold medals in a single Olympics, placing him in a class of greatness as soon as reserved solely for 2 People, Mark Spitz and Michael Phelps.

With every victory this week, together with his newest Friday evening the place he held up 4 fingers in celebration, Marchand additionally shattered the Olympic report.

“It was loopy,” Marchand stated of his remaining particular person efficiency within the males’s 200 meter particular person medley remaining at Paris’s La Protection area in a Paris suburb. “As soon as once more the general public was cheering. It was my final particular person race [of these Games] so I instructed myself I needed to actually get pleasure from it.”

To say the general public was cheering would not start to seize the cultural second Marchand has sparked right here. Some French are ambivalent in regards to the determination to host the Olympics in Paris, however in every single place you go within the metropolis there’s Marchand fever. Taxi drivers discuss him. Youngsters swoon over him. At eating places, the whole lot stops when he races as all eyes flip to televisions exhibiting his victories.

Crowds on the swimming venue right here have been filled with Marchand followers. After every of his victories, 1000’s joined in boisterous renditions of La Marseillaise, France’s nationwide anthem.

Marchand is anticipated to swim once more on Sunday in a staff relay remaining the place one other gold medal could be very potential.

One twist to Marchand’s emergence as a nationwide icon in France is the truth that his efficiency within the pool has been formed largely by America’s long-dominant swimming system. Marchand lives within the U.S. a lot of the yr and competed till lately within the NCAA system for Arizona State College.

After her race on Friday, U.S. swimmer Regan Smith, who typically trains side-by-side with Marchand, voiced admiration for the Frenchman’s capacity.

“I’ve had the chance to share a lane with him in observe for the higher half of two years,” Smith stated. “I have been in a position to see what he is in a position to do day by day in observe. He clearly has it bodily, he is extremely proficient. However what units him aside from everybody else is what he has proper up right here [in his mind]. It is not like anybody I’ve ever met. He has this It issue, this Je ne sais quois. He is aware of the way to get s*** executed.”

Notably, Marchand is coached by Bob Bowman, the legendary American swimming coach who helped develop Michael Phelps’ expertise. Earlier this week, Bowman instructed reporters Marchand has emerged in Paris as one of many all-time greats.

“I rank him on the prime proper now,” Bowman stated of Marchand. “He is obtained the pace, he is obtained the endurance. He is not even reached his potential.”

Requested about the way it feels to coach a breakout expertise whose Olympic medals go to France, Bowman shrugged and stated, “I am nonetheless purple, white and blue in my coronary heart.”

After his win on Friday, Marchand stated he plans to maintain working with Bowman as he prepares for the following Summer time Olympics in Los Angeles.

“We shared superb moments right here. We’ve been working actually onerous during the last three years. I do not know the way to do the following half (of my sports activities profession). I feel (Bowman) will actually assist me with that, as a result of he is aware of so much about it.

Requested about being in contrast with American Michael Phelps, who captured a profession whole of 28 Olympic medals — 23 of them gold — Marchand stated it is an honor. “After all, he’s a legend of the swimming world – and he’ll all the time be.”