PARIS – In front of his home country, Léon Marchand claimed Olympic gold with a record-breaking time of 4:02.95, beating out Matsushita Tomoyuki of Japan and Carson Foster of Team USA for his first gold medal of his Olympic career.
Marchand won by a dominant six seconds, breaking the Olympic record set by Michael Phelps (4:03.84) from the 2016 Rio Olympics.
At the 2023 World Aquatic Championships, Marchand captured the 400 IM world title by breaking the final world record from Michael Phelps, setting a time of 4:02.50. When speaking to NBC, Marchand was asked on how long he's been dreaming of winning Olympic gold in front of his home country and how special it was.
"I think it's a dream for every one of us, I got a chance to do it today. That was amazing I don't know how to describe it. But that was a lot of pressure for me but also amazing." said Léon Marchand. "It was really helpful for me to focus on myself today. I was trying to take that energy from all the people in the crowd and use it for the 400 IM which is what I did. The breaststroke was insane because I could hear the whole stadium so that was amazing to do today."
The five-time World Aquatics Champion, 10-time NCAA Champion and 17-time Pac-12 champion now adds a gold medal to his already stacked resumé and has three more opportunities to add to his medal collection. The Frenchman will compete in the 200 IM, 200m butterfly and the 200m breaststroke later this week.
In the morning preliminary session, he swam the best time of the morning, finishing in 4:08.30, which was then the second-best time in the world in 2024 and bested out the competition by 1.21 seconds.
Marchand becomes the first Sun Devil to win an Olympic gold medal since James Harden (men's basketball) and Amy LePeilbet (women's soccer) at the 2012 London Olympics. In addition he's the first ASU swimmer since Agnes Kovacs of Hungary to claim Olympic gold, who did so in the 2000 Olympic games in the 200m breaststroke.
While competing for the Sun Devils, he won back-to-back NCAA individual championships in the 400 IM, setting an NCAA record in 2023 with a time of 3:28.82 and in the 200 IM setting the NCAA Record with a time of 1:36.34.
SUN DEVIL OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALISTS
Léon Marchand (FRA)/Men's Swimming (400 IM), 2024
James Harden (USA)/Men's Basketball, 2012
Amy LePeilbet (USA)/Women's Soccer, 2012
Dwight Phillips (USA)/Men's Track and Field (Long Jump), 2004
Nick Hysong (USA)/Men's Track and Field (Pole Vault), 2000
Agnes Kovacs (Hungary)/Women's Swimming (200 Breastroke), 2000
Atilla Czene (Hungary)/Women's Swimming (200 IM), 1996
Justin Huish (USA)/Archery (individual), 1996
Justin Huish (USA)/Archery (team), 1996
Maciel Malone (USA)/Women's Track and Field (4x400 relay), 1996
Jay Barrs (USA)/Archery, 1988
Troy Dalbey (USA)/Men's Swimming (400 free relay), 1988
Troy Dalbey (USA)/Men's Swimming (800 free relay), 1988
Ron Brown (USA)/Men's Track and Field (4x100 relay), 1984
Ria Stalman (Netherlands)/Women's Track and Field (discus), 1984
Herman Frazier (USA)/Men's Track and Field (4x400 relay), 1976
Melissa Belote Ripley (USA)/Women's Swimming (100 backstroke), 1972
Melissa Belote Ripley (USA)/Women's Swimming (200 backstroke), 1972
Melissa Belote Ripley (USA)/Women's Swimming (400 medley relay), 1972
Ron Freeman (USA)/Men's Track and Field (4x400 relay), 1968
Jan Henne-Hawkins (USA)/Women's Swimming (100 freestyle), 1968
Bernie Wrightston (USA)/Diving (springboard), 1968
Joe Caldwell (USA)/Men's Basketball, 1964
Henry Carr (USA)/Men's Track and Field (200m), 1964
Henry Carr (USA)/Men's Track and Field (4x400 relay), 1964
Ulis Williams (USA)/Men's Track and Field (4x400 relay), 1964
SUN DEVIL SWIMMING OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALISTS
Léon Marchand (FRA)/Men's Swimming (400 IM), 2024
Agnes Kovacs (Hungary)/Women's Swimming (200 breaststroke), 2000
Atilla Czene (Hungary)/Women's Swimming (200 IM), 1996
Troy Dalbey (USA)/Men's Swimming (400 free relay), 1988
Troy Dalbey (USA)/Men's Swimming (800 free relay), 1988
Melissa Belote Ripley (USA)/Women's Swimming (100 backstroke), 1972
Melissa Belote-Ripley (USA)/Women's Swimming (200 backstroke), 1972
Melissa Belote Ripley (USA)/Women's Swimming (400 medley relay), 1972
Jan Henne-Hawkins (USA)/Women's Swimming (100 freestyle), 1968
To follow along with the Sun Devils in 2024-25, follow the team's Twitter/X account, @ASUSwimDive and on Instagram @sundevilswimdive.
Marchand won by a dominant six seconds, breaking the Olympic record set by Michael Phelps (4:03.84) from the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Leon Marchand wins 400m IM gold in front of an electric crowd in Paris! ??????#ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/ailjAYfzPY
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 28, 2024
At the 2023 World Aquatic Championships, Marchand captured the 400 IM world title by breaking the final world record from Michael Phelps, setting a time of 4:02.50. When speaking to NBC, Marchand was asked on how long he's been dreaming of winning Olympic gold in front of his home country and how special it was.
"I think it's a dream for every one of us, I got a chance to do it today. That was amazing I don't know how to describe it. But that was a lot of pressure for me but also amazing." said Léon Marchand. "It was really helpful for me to focus on myself today. I was trying to take that energy from all the people in the crowd and use it for the 400 IM which is what I did. The breaststroke was insane because I could hear the whole stadium so that was amazing to do today."
The five-time World Aquatics Champion, 10-time NCAA Champion and 17-time Pac-12 champion now adds a gold medal to his already stacked resumé and has three more opportunities to add to his medal collection. The Frenchman will compete in the 200 IM, 200m butterfly and the 200m breaststroke later this week.
ASU Swimmer Léon Marchand won GOLD ?? for France in the 400 IM, breaking Michael Phelps' Olympic record! ????
— Gina Maravilla (@GinaMaravillaTV) July 30, 2024
We had a GREAT conversation on GMAZ with ASU Swim Coach Herbie Behm! ??#azfamily pic.twitter.com/08w9c2QHHS
In the morning preliminary session, he swam the best time of the morning, finishing in 4:08.30, which was then the second-best time in the world in 2024 and bested out the competition by 1.21 seconds.
CLAIMING OLYMPIC GOLD FOR THE HOST NATION!! ??
— Sun Devil Swim/Dive (@ASUSwimDive) July 28, 2024
Léon Marchand wins his first Olympic Gold medal with an astounding time of 4:02.95 in the 400 IM!#ForksUp /// #ParisOlympics /// #O2V pic.twitter.com/Z5uKdbwXMp
Marchand becomes the first Sun Devil to win an Olympic gold medal since James Harden (men's basketball) and Amy LePeilbet (women's soccer) at the 2012 London Olympics. In addition he's the first ASU swimmer since Agnes Kovacs of Hungary to claim Olympic gold, who did so in the 2000 Olympic games in the 200m breaststroke.
While competing for the Sun Devils, he won back-to-back NCAA individual championships in the 400 IM, setting an NCAA record in 2023 with a time of 3:28.82 and in the 200 IM setting the NCAA Record with a time of 1:36.34.
SUN DEVIL OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALISTS
Léon Marchand (FRA)/Men's Swimming (400 IM), 2024
James Harden (USA)/Men's Basketball, 2012
Amy LePeilbet (USA)/Women's Soccer, 2012
Dwight Phillips (USA)/Men's Track and Field (Long Jump), 2004
Nick Hysong (USA)/Men's Track and Field (Pole Vault), 2000
Agnes Kovacs (Hungary)/Women's Swimming (200 Breastroke), 2000
Atilla Czene (Hungary)/Women's Swimming (200 IM), 1996
Justin Huish (USA)/Archery (individual), 1996
Justin Huish (USA)/Archery (team), 1996
Maciel Malone (USA)/Women's Track and Field (4x400 relay), 1996
Jay Barrs (USA)/Archery, 1988
Troy Dalbey (USA)/Men's Swimming (400 free relay), 1988
Troy Dalbey (USA)/Men's Swimming (800 free relay), 1988
Ron Brown (USA)/Men's Track and Field (4x100 relay), 1984
Ria Stalman (Netherlands)/Women's Track and Field (discus), 1984
Herman Frazier (USA)/Men's Track and Field (4x400 relay), 1976
Melissa Belote Ripley (USA)/Women's Swimming (100 backstroke), 1972
Melissa Belote Ripley (USA)/Women's Swimming (200 backstroke), 1972
Melissa Belote Ripley (USA)/Women's Swimming (400 medley relay), 1972
Ron Freeman (USA)/Men's Track and Field (4x400 relay), 1968
Jan Henne-Hawkins (USA)/Women's Swimming (100 freestyle), 1968
Bernie Wrightston (USA)/Diving (springboard), 1968
Joe Caldwell (USA)/Men's Basketball, 1964
Henry Carr (USA)/Men's Track and Field (200m), 1964
Henry Carr (USA)/Men's Track and Field (4x400 relay), 1964
Ulis Williams (USA)/Men's Track and Field (4x400 relay), 1964
SUN DEVIL SWIMMING OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALISTS
Léon Marchand (FRA)/Men's Swimming (400 IM), 2024
Agnes Kovacs (Hungary)/Women's Swimming (200 breaststroke), 2000
Atilla Czene (Hungary)/Women's Swimming (200 IM), 1996
Troy Dalbey (USA)/Men's Swimming (400 free relay), 1988
Troy Dalbey (USA)/Men's Swimming (800 free relay), 1988
Melissa Belote Ripley (USA)/Women's Swimming (100 backstroke), 1972
Melissa Belote-Ripley (USA)/Women's Swimming (200 backstroke), 1972
Melissa Belote Ripley (USA)/Women's Swimming (400 medley relay), 1972
Jan Henne-Hawkins (USA)/Women's Swimming (100 freestyle), 1968
To follow along with the Sun Devils in 2024-25, follow the team's Twitter/X account, @ASUSwimDive and on Instagram @sundevilswimdive.