Marchand Opens FINA World Championships With Second-Fastest 400 IM Time in History
BUDAPEST, Hungary -- Rising Sun Devil sophomore Léon Marchand set the swimming world ablaze on Day 1 of the FINA World Championships, winning the 400 IM with a time of 4:04.28, now a European record and good for the second-fastest performance ever.
Marchand made a run at Michael Phelps' record of 4:03.84, which was set at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. He's now just the second Frenchman to ever win a medal at the World Championships. The other? His father, Xavier Marchand, who captured a silver medal in the 200m IM at the 1998 World Championships in Perth.
Here's what fans and reporters around the world had to say following Marchand's dominance in Budapest.
???? Leon Marchand is the new World Champion in a New Championships RECORD for the Men's 400m IM ??4:04.28????? #swimming #FINABudapest2022 pic.twitter.com/u06Pal786V
— FINA (@fina1908) June 18, 2022
Leon Marchand Crushes 4:04.28 400 IM European Record For #2 Swim In History https://t.co/fwtJluEUbt
— SwimSwam (@swimswamnews) June 18, 2022
During the first day of the 2022 World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, Léon Marchand won the men's 400 IM in 4:04.28. This is a new European record and the 2nd fastest performance of all time, challenging Michael Phelps' world record from 2008.
??: Jack Spitser pic.twitter.com/r88PwlIZAa— Swimming Stats (@SwimmingStats) June 18, 2022
World Championships: Leon Marchand Threatens Michael Phelps' World Record En Route to 400 IM Gold - https://t.co/1D01TnBexm pic.twitter.com/kmxPkMIoIP
— Swimming World (@SwimmingWorld) June 18, 2022
FATHER and SON ??????
Leon Marchand becomes the second French swimmer to win a medal at the World Championships in an Individual Medley event.
His father Xavier won silver in the Men's 200m IM in Perth in 1998.#swimming #FINABudapest2022 pic.twitter.com/bDigkEBU6B— FINA (@fina1908) June 18, 2022
Leon Marchand of @ASUSwimDive just scared what is well-known to be one of the most "out of reach" world records on the books
— Kyle Sockwell (@kylesockwell) June 18, 2022
The first time I ever spoke with @coach_bowman was on a zoom call before broadcasting an ASU swim meet. I asked him about the difference between coaching @leon_marchand.
Bowman said: "I see a lot of similarities between Lèon and Michael."
Now we all see the similarities. https://t.co/6dv8uqz2zH
— Ethan Schwager (@e_schwag10) June 18, 2022
#ASU Leon Marchand of France wins 400 IM at World Swimming Championships! https://t.co/vXCxjrqUpp
— jeffmetcalfe (@jeffmetcalfe) June 18, 2022
Leon Marchand, 20-year-old Frenchman coached by Bob Bowman, was 1.11 seconds under Michael Phelps' world record pace through 300 meters of the 400m IM. Finished .44 off it, but Phelps' last individual world record, and the last one overall left from 2008 Olympics, is in danger. pic.twitter.com/1M5ZSdqzrJ
— Nick Zaccardi (@nzaccardi) June 18, 2022
What did I just watch?!
For a moment Leon Marchand was on track to hit the better Michael Phelps' WR in the 400 IM. What a swim!
4.04.28 - Incredible!
Carson Foster takes silver in 4.06.56
Olympic Champion Chase Kalisz takes 3rd in 4.07.47Wow, wow, wow!
— Propulsion Swimming (@Propulsion_Swim) June 18, 2022
TITANESQUE EXTRAORDINAIRE EXCEPTIONNEL FANTASTIQUE
LÉON MARCHAND CHAMPION DU MONDE DU 400 M 4NAGES
??????????
— Christophe Lemaire (@ch_lemaire) June 18, 2022
Leon Marchand just shook up the world...
400 IM Splits...
FL: 55.54
BK: 1:03.12
BR: 1:07.28
FR: 58.34Total: 4:04.28
— Kyle Sockwell (@kylesockwell) June 18, 2022
Some people say Leon Marchand is the "new Michael Phelps".
I don't know about that... But it's gonna be fun to watch this kid swim at home in the next Olympics!#FINABudapest2022
— Pedro Leão (@Leao_pel) June 18, 2022
4:04.28 shocker from @leon_marchand . I don't care what happens the rest of the meet this is already the swim of the meet. #FINABudapest2022
— Loretta Race, MBA (@RettaRace) June 18, 2022
Me when I saw Leon Marchand???? a second under Phelps' WR pace at the 300 pic.twitter.com/gE7gsGGtt5
— Andy Ross (@andy_ross4) June 18, 2022
Léon Marchand! Wow!
I think we know who is going to be on every billboard at the Olympic pool in Paris!
— Paul Eddison (@pauleddison) June 18, 2022
That Phelps 400m IM world record got real nervous for a sec ??
France's Leon Marchand. A name to remember for the next Olympics in, oh yeah, Paris.
— Tristan D'Amours (@tristandamours) June 18, 2022
I'm going to encourage you to learn the name Leon Marchand. You're going to hear it a whole bunch in Paris in 2024 https://t.co/5EIdyUoYrN
— Matthew De George (@sportsdoctormd) June 18, 2022
#EnDirect #Budapest2022 #Natation@leon_marchand « Elle est là » ??#TeamFrance #TeamFFN pic.twitter.com/7x01TFG7dD
— FFN (@FFNatation) June 18, 2022
For more about the World Championships, including daily schedules and results, visit FINA.org.