NANTERRE, France — French sensation Léon Marchand continued his impressive run at the Paris Olympics, becoming the first swimmer in history to win gold in both the 200-meter butterfly and 200-meter breaststroke at the same Games. And he did it on the same night.
Marchand won his first gold medal of the day in the 200-meter butterfly, setting an Olympic record with a time of 1:51.21, in an incredible comeback over Hungary’s Kristóf Milák, who finished second with a time of 1:51.75.
About two hours later, Marchand set another Olympic record by swimming the 200-meter breaststroke in 2:05.85. It was probably the greatest single-night swimming performance in Olympic history.
“I knew it was possible for me to do it, finish the races, but maybe not win them,” Marchand said. “I never knew if I could win both races.”
Earlier this week, Marchand won a gold medal in the 400-meter individual medley. That makes it three gold medals out of three, with one event remaining.
He is only the fourth male swimmer in Olympic history to win more than two individual gold medals at the same Games.
The 22-year-old Frenchman, competing at his home Olympics, was under the microscope throughout the race, carrying the pressure and hope of his countrymen with him in every swim. And he gave it his all.
Marchand’s time of 4:02.95 in the 400 IM also set an Olympic record, breaking the record set by Michael Phelps in 2008. It was Marchand’s first Olympic gold medal and a moment that gave him goosebumps. Marchand said he was proud of himself and also of his country.
Wednesday was always going to be a highlight of Marchand’s schedule in Paris, with his hopes of swimming the 200 butterfly and 200 breaststroke finals in the span of two hours. It’s a tough dual with two grueling events, but Marchand said he was prepared for it because of his NCAA experience at Arizona State. He’s used to duals and short changes of direction between events and felt confident he could handle this schedule here.
Marchand’s coach, Bob Bowman, told him he thought he could complete the double Wednesday after the 400 IM final because he looked so strong in the breaststroke.
Marchand said the last few days had been “a bit like a marathon,” but he thought he had had enough time to recover and prepare in the meantime. Winning two gold medals in one night was a dream of his.
“I won two gold medals in two hours, and that’s really incredible,” he said.
Marchand showed confidence in virtually every setting he entered during his home Games. The Paris La Défense Arena welcomed him with open arms, the crowd loud and wild every time he stepped onto the starting block, with one competitor comparing the atmosphere to the feeling of a soccer match.
But Marchand had prepared for this moment, and he knew before the fight how hard he had worked to succeed on this stage. Bowman had had similar experiences with his former protégé, Phelps. He tried to keep Marchand in his routine, avoiding as many distractions as possible.
“The main thing is just getting ready in the water, the main thing is just swimming as fast as you can,” Marchand told The Athletic this spring. “But it’s not just swimming when it comes to the home Olympics.”
The Olympics at home also means that her smile is a little bigger when she touches the wall and the applause is even louder than she could have ever imagined.
Marchand has another medal opportunity in the men’s 200-meter IM. He will swim in qualifying for that event on Thursday morning.
