TEMPE, Ariz. – What a year it was for Léon Marchand.
He arrived in Tempe a year ago as a baby-faced freshman, some 5,660 miles away from his home of Toulouse, France – and it didn't take long before he set the swimming world ablaze.
From his arrival last fall to now, he has established himself as one of the most dominant swimmers in the sport. A four-time Pac-12 champion, two-time NCAA champion and two-time World Champion, Marchand is back on campus for his sophomore season, and fans will have plenty of opportunities to see the Frenchman at the Mona Plummer Aquatic Center in 2022-23.
Below are notes, numbers and accolades from his sizzling rookie campaign.
2021-22 SEASON
-Two-time NCAA Champion in the 200 IM and 200 breast (set an NCAA record in the 200 IM with his time of 1:37.69)
-Named a CSCAA First-Team Scholar All-American in 2021-22
-Named the CSCAA's Men's Swimmer of the Year in 2021-22 and was a CSCAA First-Team All-American in seven events
-Named the Swimmer of the Meet at his first Pac-12 Championships in 2022, winning the 200 IM, 400 IM, 200 breast and 800 free relay
-Named the Pac-12 Freshman & Men's Swimmer of the Year in 2021-22
-Set ASU school records in the 200 breast, 200 IM and 400 IM and was a member of four relay groups that set new program records (200 free relay, 400 free relay, 800 free relay and 400 medley relay)
-In his highly-anticipated Sun Devil debut on November 6, 2021, against USC, he won the 200 fly, 200 back, 200 IM and placed second in the 200 medley relay
-Full freshman year bio
LÉON MARCHAND WINS THE 200 IM AT 1:37.69, THE FASTEST TIME IN NCAA HISTORY!!! pic.twitter.com/vlT0HOohwr
— Sun Devil Swim/Dive (@ASUSwimDive) March 24, 2022
INTERNATIONAL SUCCESS
-Two-time FINA World Champion in the 200 IM and 400 IM. His time of 4:04.28 in the 400 IM is a European record and good for the second-fastest performance ever
-Broke the 200 fly French record at the FINA World Championships to win silver at 1:53.37
-Broke the 200 IM French record at the FINA World Championships with his time of 1:55.22
-Named the Swimmer of the Meet at the 2022 FINA World Championships
-Broke the 200m breast French record at the July 2022 Spanish Championships with his time of 2:08.76, marking his fourth national record of the summer (200 IM, 400 IM and 200 fly)
-Won the 200 fly at the June TYR Pro Swim Series (San Antonio), clocking in with his time of 1:56.54
-Competed at the Tokyo Olympic Games in the summer of 2021 in the 200 IM and 400 IM
?? + ?? + ??
— Sun Devil Swim/Dive (@ASUSwimDive) June 29, 2022
Léon Marchand is the FINA World Championship's Male Swimmer of the Meet ??#ForksUp | #FINABudapest2022 pic.twitter.com/A9Ey52iZ9W
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING
Head coach Bob Bowman, (via The Arizona Republic): "He has exceptional talent, that's one thing. But what he also has is work ethic and there's not one thing I've asked to do that he's balked at and he's wanted to do more. He wants to get better every time he swims and he's open to that. That's what's going to keep him moving forward and that's why he's special."
Sun Devil teammate John Heaphy (via The State Press): "I mean, he is a pro in every sense of the word. He doesn't complain and works his butt off every day … I knew he was going to go fast [at NCAAs] but I did not think he was going to break the American record. I actually have no words for that performance. Everyone was losing their minds. It's hard not to be happy for him; the kid is incredible."
Ben Dornan, (via SwimSwam): "Léon Marchand was the man of the meet thanks to his double-gold, triple medal haul at the 2022 World Championships. If it weren't for the legendary Michael Phelps, Marchand would have had one of the most impressive swims in history when he posted a 4:04.28 400 IM … In just two years Marchand will likely swim this event in front of a home crowd at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games."
David Rieder (via SwimmingWorld): "The title of world's best medley swimmer officially belongs to France's Léon Marchand."
Matthew De George (via SwimmingWorld): "I'm going to encourage you to learn the name Léon Marchand. You're going to hear it a whole bunch in Paris in 2024."
SUN DEVILS AT HOME IN 2022-23
-Maroon & Gold Meet (Friday, September 23, 2 p.m.)
-vs. Wisconsin (Saturday, October 22, 11 a.m.)
-vs. Washington State (Saturday, January 14, TBD, Women's team only)
-vs. Stanford (Friday, January 20, 2 p.m.)
-vs. Cal (Saturday, January 21, TBD)
-vs. Arizona (Saturday, February 4, 1 p.m.)
FOLLOW ALONG
Keep up with the Sun Devils ahead of their highly-anticipated 2022-23 campaign via the team's Twitter account, @ASUSwimDive.