PARIS – Three days after securing his first Olympic gold medal, Léon Marchand won two more gold medals Wednesday evening in Paris, setting two Olympic records in the 200m fly and the 200m breast for gold. Sun Devil sophomore Ilya Kharun secured the bronze medal, finishing in 1:52.80 for his first Olympic medal and the first medal for Canada in the 200m fly.
In the final 50m meters of the 200m fly, Marchand put together a magnificent charge to overtake Hungarian swimmer Milak Kristof, coming home to gold in 28.97. It's Marchand's second Olympic record of the week, breaking Kristof Milak's (1:51.25) record set in the Tokyo Olympics.
Less than two hours after his triumphant comeback, Marchand led wire-to-wire in the 200m breaststroke, pulling away from the field after the 100m mark to finish in a record-breaking 2:05.85, his third Olympic record of the week.
"I had two gold medals in two hours, that is quite incredible." said Léon Marchand.
For Kharun, he withstood a charge to win bronze, setting a Canadian Olympic record. In his freshman year alone, he became an NCAA Individual national champion in the 200y fly, and was part of the 400y medley relay team that won an NCAA championship and set an NCAA record. The Canadian is also a 6-time Pac-12 champion. It's the first time a Canadian swimmer has medaled in the 200m fly in the Olympics.
With Marchand's win in the 200m fly, he becomes the first French swimmer to win multiple gold medals in a single Olympic games and becomes the fifth Sun Devil to win more than one gold medal, joining Justin Huish (Archery), Troy Dalbey (Men's Swimming), Melissa Belote Ripley (Women's Swimming) and Henry Carr (Men's Track & Field).
After his victory in the 200m breaststroke, he became one of two Sun Devils to win at least three gold medals in the same Olympics, joining Melissa Belote-Ripley who achieved the feat in the 1972 Munich Games.
In addition, Marchand became the first swimmer to claim multiple gold medals in the same day since 1976 and is the fourth swimmer in history to win two individual gold medals on the same day, joining Kornelia Ender (East Germany), Frederick Land (Australia) and Alfred Hajos (Hungary). The Frenchman becomes the first swimmer in history to win medals in the butterfly and the breaststroke in the same Olympics, breaking both Olympic records and winning gold in each event. Lastly, he becomes the fourth male swimmer in Olympic history to win more than two individual gold medals in the same Olympics, joining Michael Phelps (2x), Mark Spitz and Caleb Dressel.
For Marchand, he has one more event remaining this week, racing in the 200m IM heats which starts at around 2:47 a.m. AZT/11:47 CEST (Paris Time) to attempt to qualify for Thursday evening's semifinal.
SUN DEVIL OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALISTS
Léon Marchand (FRA)/Men's Swimming (200m Breast), 2024
Léon Marchand (FRA)/Men's Swimming (200m Fly), 2024
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 (200m Breast), 2024
Léon Marchand (FRA)/Men's Swimming (200m Fly), 2024
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.
In the final 50m meters of the 200m fly, Marchand put together a magnificent charge to overtake Hungarian swimmer Milak Kristof, coming home to gold in 28.97. It's Marchand's second Olympic record of the week, breaking Kristof Milak's (1:51.25) record set in the Tokyo Olympics.
Less than two hours after his triumphant comeback, Marchand led wire-to-wire in the 200m breaststroke, pulling away from the field after the 100m mark to finish in a record-breaking 2:05.85, his third Olympic record of the week.
"I had two gold medals in two hours, that is quite incredible." said Léon Marchand.
UNREAL. LEON MARCHAND WITH AN INCREDIBLE COMEBACK TO IGNITE THE CROWD IN PARIS. ????#ParisOlympics | ?? NBC & Peacock pic.twitter.com/oErY1zMUvu
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 31, 2024
"Marchand's march to greatness CONTINUES!" ????
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 31, 2024
Leon Marchand just can't be stopped in his home country. He wins gold in the men's 200m breaststroke. #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/DEAEFeIxG4
For Kharun, he withstood a charge to win bronze, setting a Canadian Olympic record. In his freshman year alone, he became an NCAA Individual national champion in the 200y fly, and was part of the 400y medley relay team that won an NCAA championship and set an NCAA record. The Canadian is also a 6-time Pac-12 champion. It's the first time a Canadian swimmer has medaled in the 200m fly in the Olympics.
?? Ilya Kharun ??
— NCAA (@NCAA) July 31, 2024
200m Butterfly ???? Canada#OlympiansMadeHere x @ASUSwimDive pic.twitter.com/4eOMX7JSO9
Making history!!
— Swimming Canada / Natation Canada (@SwimmingCanada) July 31, 2024
Ilya Kharun is the first Canadian to medal in 200 fly taking the bronze and to top it off, this is his first ever Olympic Games ?? pic.twitter.com/ipuyZHfmuz
With Marchand's win in the 200m fly, he becomes the first French swimmer to win multiple gold medals in a single Olympic games and becomes the fifth Sun Devil to win more than one gold medal, joining Justin Huish (Archery), Troy Dalbey (Men's Swimming), Melissa Belote Ripley (Women's Swimming) and Henry Carr (Men's Track & Field).
After his victory in the 200m breaststroke, he became one of two Sun Devils to win at least three gold medals in the same Olympics, joining Melissa Belote-Ripley who achieved the feat in the 1972 Munich Games.
LÉON MARCHAND HAS DONE IT!!
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) July 31, 2024
GOLD IN THE 200 FLY
GOLD IN THE 200 BREASTSTROKE
OLYMPIC RECORDS IN BOTH
In addition, Marchand became the first swimmer to claim multiple gold medals in the same day since 1976 and is the fourth swimmer in history to win two individual gold medals on the same day, joining Kornelia Ender (East Germany), Frederick Land (Australia) and Alfred Hajos (Hungary). The Frenchman becomes the first swimmer in history to win medals in the butterfly and the breaststroke in the same Olympics, breaking both Olympic records and winning gold in each event. Lastly, he becomes the fourth male swimmer in Olympic history to win more than two individual gold medals in the same Olympics, joining Michael Phelps (2x), Mark Spitz and Caleb Dressel.
For Marchand, he has one more event remaining this week, racing in the 200m IM heats which starts at around 2:47 a.m. AZT/11:47 CEST (Paris Time) to attempt to qualify for Thursday evening's semifinal.
SUN DEVIL OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALISTS
Léon Marchand (FRA)/Men's Swimming (200m Breast), 2024
Léon Marchand (FRA)/Men's Swimming (200m Fly), 2024
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 (200m Breast), 2024
Léon Marchand (FRA)/Men's Swimming (200m Fly), 2024
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.