The Frenchman continued his magical run in Paris by becoming the first swimmer in history to win the 200 butterfly and the 200 breaststroke at the same Olympics.
PARIS — It was 11:32 p.m., the end of a day unlike any Olympic swimming has ever seen. The man who had just performed the greatest single-session feat in the history of his sport was standing at an elevator, waiting for it to open and take him down and away from a venue he’d transformed into a roaring SEC football stadium.
He won them. They were gold medals No. 2 and 3 for Marchand of these Olympics, with another one likely on Friday in the 200 individual medley, if his body holds up after this incredible effort. But this was so much more than that. In both races, Marchand dethroned the reigning Olympic champion. And he did it in opposite ways. He led Australian Zac Stubblety-Cook the entire 200 meters in the breaststroke, and hein the final 50 to defeat Hungarian Kristóf Milák in the butterfly. Which gets to the final element that made this an unforgettable night in swimming lore.
“The two fly was actually crazy on the last 50,” Marchand said. “I could hear underwater that the pool was going crazy.” Marchand didn’t just hold the Aussie off. He pulled away, sending the night to a deafening crescendo. Upon touching the wall, Marchand pulled himself up on the lane line and slammed his right hand down on the water—simultaneously tipping over backward as he did so. Then he came up and slapped the water again, hoisted himself out of the pool and shoved two fists in the air. He was exhausted but elated by a shock-and-awe triumph.
What Bowman quickly found out was that Marchand had the work ethic to match his natural ability. And nobody is better at pushing, pulling and demanding excellence out of a talented swimmer than Bowman.
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