“He worked with water and not against her”

Leon Marchand, quadruple medal with gold at the 2024 Olympics in 200 m butterfly, 200 m bras, 200 m mixed and 400 m mixed, is preparing to participate in 2025's first competition, at Fort Lauderdale. It will be the first in the 50 meter basin from Paris.

The Frenchman returned to the US after spending three months in Australia trying to progress in the free style under the guidance of Dean Boxall. The young man also enjoyed the surf and exploration of the country from Antipods, trying to escape all the attention that his countrymen offered. Unfortunately, Marchand suffered a stress fracture at one of the ribs and his training suffered.

Returning under the command of Bob Bowman, the one who shaped and polished Michael Phelps, the most sports medal from the Olympic Games, Marchand will swim at Fort Lauderdale, a competition that debuts on April 30, in three of the samples in which he is an Olympic champion, 200 m bras, 200 m and 400 m mixed, but will be at the beginning and 400 m free.

“It is time to try this type of race and repeat it if my goal is to participate in 400 m free at the Los Angeles Olympics, for example. I have to start now because I have no experience. I know very well that the first one will be a slaughter. But it is a race that makes me dream ”Marchand said for L'Equipe.

Leon Marchand tells about David Popovici that he was untouched in 2022

In order to improve the Craul process, the French confessed that he was watching video images. “He watched thousands of times the races of Michael Phelps, and at 200 m, he still admires the world record of the juniors established in Rome by the Romanian David Popovici in 2022, ”writes L'Equipe.

The Romanian then set the best time (1: 42.97) of the era of textile costumes, the fourth in history at this test, but the first three were made in the era of the supercostumes that were forbidden by the International Federation.

The best five strokes in history at 200 m free

• Paul Biedermann – 1: 42.00 (July 28, 2009)

• Paul Bierdeman – 1:42, 81 (July 31, 2009)

• Michael Phelps – 1:42, 86 (August 12, 2008)

• David Popovici – 1:42, 97 (August 15, 2022)

• David Popovici – 1:43, 13 (June 21, 2024)

Marchand expressed his admiration for the race made by David Popovici. “It was very small, but impressive to follow. It was a room underwater and you could see how easy it was, it slid, worked with water and not against it. It was untouched,” the Frenchman said about the Romanian.

David Popovici in the 200 m free photo Imago Images

Leon Marchand and his strategies for the free process

Marchand focused on improving the free process in Australia under the guidance of Dean Boxall. “This is the reason why I got injured. At the free process, my hips tend to pivot too much. For example, when I pivot to the right, I have less strength on the left arm. With Dean, the idea was to reduce this defect. I step on my nerves and I worked a lot on it, especially on it, especially on the right.

Bob Bowman knows that Marchand will need time to define the right strategy and all the technical changes to be made. He says it takes strong arms. “I am not good at this time, I was, but with the episode with my coast, I worked more with Dean. As for my arms, I think I take more water than before, but I get tired faster …”.

Leon Marchand, looking under the water Imago images

Marchand remembered a 200 m free race from the 2023 National Championships. “The legs are my strength, which takes me in front of others. I remember the 200 m test from the Rennes France championships. In the series I used my feet from the beginning of the race, but Bob did not like it and I had problems at the end. For the final, I advised me not to use my legs in the first hundred meters. I followed his advice and won in 1: 46.44 “, said Marchand. This is his best time in the 200 m free test.

David Popovici: “I always want a bigger competition”

At the end of 2024, David Popovici was visited by journalists from L'Equipe Magazine and was asked about the possibility of competing against Leon Marchand. “It is extraordinary what has succeeded. It has all my appreciation, I am sure he knows that. What I like about it is that it is normal. It doesn't have to be otherwise because it is such a good and such a big champion. I hope he will remain the same guy I met 2-3 years ago. And I am sure.

I always want a bigger competition and I am sure it will be a great swimmer at 200 m. Unable to not be. So “Come on, Leon!” I can hardly wait, because outside the basin everything is about fair play, friendship, respect, only when the stopwatch starts and jumps into the water, then the confrontation begins. A good athlete should always be open for more and stronger opponents ”, the Romanian replied then.