Marchand accomplished as swimming world records tumble in Singapore

SINGAPORE – His coach Bob Bowman had dissuaded him from competing in the 200m breaststroke and 200m butterfly on the same day at Paris 2024, but Leon Marchand won both events en route to four golds, all in Olympic record times.

Nothing can stop the French star once he sets his mind on achieving something in the pool, and on Nov 1, the 3,000-strong crowd at the OCBC Aquatic Centre witnessed more feats from him during the Singapore leg of the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup.

He became the first man to go under 1min 49sec in the men’s 200m individual medley (short course), winning the final in a world-record 1:48.88.

Not only did he leave his closest rivals – Briton Duncan Scott (1:51.14) and Italian Alberto Razzetti (1:52.99) – behind, but the 22-year-old also eclipsed American Ryan Lochte’s 2012 mark of 1:49.63.

Marchand told The Straits Times: “I felt really good still on the freestyle (last leg). I could kick still, which is kind of rare in the IM races. So I was like all right, I think I can do it (break the world record).

“This was really exciting for me, because I was trying to do something that has never been done before, so I was trying to push as much as possible underwater. The crowd was going crazy and reminded me of the Paris Olympics, so it was really pushing me.”

Befitting of the new king of world swimming, Marchand picked up a crown for sweeping the same event at all three stops of the World Cup in Shanghai, Incheon and Singapore.

Swimmers earn US$10,000 (S$13,200) for each triple-crown achievement and another US$10,000 for each world record they set.

There is also a US$100,000 individual ranking bonus for the best swimmers of the series. With one day to go, Marchand leads the men’s category with 156.2 points, 4.4 more than closest challenger Swiss Noe Ponti.

But, more than money, what drives Marchand is the possibility of breaking more boundaries.

In an earlier interview with international broadcaster DW, he said: “I don’t know how fast I can go, or where my limits are. That’s why I train as hard as possible every day to get there.

“The thing about swimming is that it is about the time. We never know what we’re going to reach and I’m just so excited and curious about it.”

Shortly after Marchand’s world record and triple crown, American Regan Smith followed suit by winning the women’s 100m backstroke in 54.27sec, ahead of teammate Beata Nelson (55.72) and Canadian Ingrid Wilm (56.01).

In the process, she broke her previous world mark of 54.41.

The 22-year-old is also in the running for the women’s individual title with 158.4 points.

She trails only teammate Kate Douglass (178.5) going into the final day on Nov 2.

She said: “That hurt so bad coming home, but I’m glad I squeaked another personal best and got another world record.

“Kate and I are having so much fun, we’re raising the bar for each other, and it’s never getting in the way of our friendship, which is what’s most important.”

There were also triple crowns for Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey (women’s 200m freestyle, 1:51.80), China’s Qin Haiyang (men’s 50m breaststroke, 25.47) and Tang Qianting (women’s 100m breaststroke, 1:03.10) and Douglass (women’s 50m butterfly, 24.42).

The night ended on an emotional high when crowd favourite Chad le Clos, who launched his career at the inaugural Youth Olympics in Singapore in 2010, denied Trenton Julian his men’s 200m butterfly triple crown by winning in 1:50.42. The American was 1.26sec behind in second, with Razzetti third (1:51.96).

The 32-year-old four-time Olympic medallist, who bounced back from mental-health struggles in 2022 to extend his record as the most successful male World Cup swimmer with his 152nd gold, said: “I’m obviously getting older, so it’s very hard for me to compete against these young guys.

“What keeps me going? I want to break Ryan Lochte’s record to become the best short-course swimmer in history,” added the South African, who is two short of the American’s 14 individual gold medals at the short-course world championships.

“Until that record is done, I’ll keep swimming even if I’m 43.”