The 22-year-old French swimmer Leon Marchand won his fourth gold medal in the Paris 2024 Olympics after setting another Olympic record in the men’s 200m individual medley event.
Leon Marchand won a gold medal in the men's 200m individual medley event
On Friday (2nd August), Leon Marchand won the gold medal in the men’s 200m individual medley event after finishing the race in 1:54.06. He set a new Olympic record by breaking American legend Michael Phelps’ 16-year-old record of 1:54.23 (Beijing 2008). Marchand was not far from the world record of 1:54.00 set by American Ryan Lochte (in 2011).
Great Britain’s Duncan Scott clinched the silver medal (1:55.31) and the defending champion Chinese Wang Shun secured the bronze medal (1:56.00). It was the second medal and first individual medal for Scott at the Paris 2024 Olympics, as he won a gold medal for the Great Britain team in the men's 4 x 200-metre freestyle relay event. It was also Scott’s eighth Olympic medal.
Leon Marchand set four Olympic records at Paris 2024
It was the fourth gold medal for Leon Marchand in the ongoing Summer Olympics. His first gold medal came from the men’s 400m individual medley event, which was also his first Olympic medal. Last Wednesday (31st July), Marchand won two gold medals in two hours by winning the men's 200m butterfly and men’s 200m breaststroke events. Just like the men’s 200m individual medley event, Marchand set new Olympic records in all other gold medal successes at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
After winning his fourth gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Marchand told the reporters, “It was my last individual final so I said to myself, I really have to enjoy it. I had a lot more energy than yesterday so I felt better, more relaxed. And I really wanted to have fun in my last final and it happened, so it was huge.”
On the other hand, Marchand’s team finished in fifth place in the men's 4 x 200 metre freestyle relay event. His team will also participate in the men's 4 x 100 metre medley relay event on Saturday (3rd August).
