On a night when American swimmers scored upsets to add to the U.S. medal count, it was French swimmer Leon Marchand who stole the show in Paris winning his first gold medal.
Leon Marchand, of France, celebrates after receiving his first gold medal in the men's 400-meter individual medley final at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics on Sunday in Nanterre, France.NANTERRE, France — Moments after thousands of his countrymen sang a deafening treatment of the French national anthem in La Defense arena outside Paris, Leon Marchand broke away from a pack of elite swimmers in the men's 400 meter individual medley final.
Marchand, who competed for Arizona State University and now lives in Austin, Texas, dominated the event which combines freestyle, back, breast and butterfly strokes.In a sport where victories are often razor-thin, he touched the wall more than five seconds ahead of Japan's Tomoyuki Matsushita, who took silver.
"I had goose bumps on the podium," Marchand said."I felt really proud to be myself and to be French."Marchand, with his boyish good looks, has emerged as a national icon of these Paris Olympics. After his win Sunday night, French President Emmanuel Macron called to offer congratulations.Chinese swimmers at Paris Olympics deny doping accusations as diplomatic row grows
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