Men’s 400m individual medley World Record holder Léon Marchand won the gold medal by setting up a new Olympic record.
The 22-year-old French Léon Marchand was the favourite in the men’s 400m individual medley event at the Paris 2024 Olympics. He set the world record (4:02.50) in July 2023.
Heats and the final round of the men’s 400m individual medley event in the Paris 2024 Olympics were organised on Sunday (28th July).
French Léon Marchand won the gold medal in the men's 400m individual medley event
Marchand started as a favourite in the final round, while others were battling for the silver and bronze medals. Marchand took 4 minutes and 2.95 seconds to secure his first Olympic medal, which was a gold. At the end of the race, the French swimmer was far ahead of the other challengers.
It was also the first Olympic gold medal for France in any swimming event in the last 12 years. Before Marchand, Florent Manaudou was the last French swimmer to win an Olympic gold medal in London 2012.
It was also the first Olympic medal in Marchand's Olympian parents' family. Father Xavier (Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000) and mother Celine Bonnet (Barcelona 1992) both swimmers competed in the Olympics.
Michael Phelps was the previous Olympic record holder
Legendary USA swimmer Michael Phelps held the previous Olympic record for the men’s 400m individual medley event by finishing the competition in 4 minutes and 3.84 seconds in Beijing 2008.
Japan’s Tomoyuki Matsushita (4:08.62) and the USA’s Carson Foster (4:08.66) had a neck-to-neck battle to end with the silver and bronze medals, respectively.
Great Britain’s Max Litchfield set up a national record by finishing the challenge in 4:08.85, but he only managed to earn the fourth position.
Earlier, out of 16 competitors in the heat, the top eight performers qualified for the final round of the event. Marchand finished on top in the heat by finishing the challenge in 4 minutes and 8.30 seconds.
