- The swimmer’s face has been plastered all over Paris to promote the Olympics
- Leon Marchand won the 400 metres individual medley in Olympic record time
- 22-year-old emulated fellow French star Antoine Dupont’s 7s victory on Saturday
The night after Antoine Dupont sent the Stade de France into a frenzy, another poster boy of Paris 2024 blew the roof off La Defense Arena.
Leon Marchand is everywhere you go in the French capital. A giant picture of him on the starting blocks adorns the 690ft Tour Montparnasse skyscraper.
But the 22-year-old was even more epic in person here last night, storming to victory in the 400 metres individual medley in an Olympic record time of 4min 2.95sec.
Marchand celebrated by punching the air, before he climbed out of the pool and turned to face his adoring public with both his arms aloft, receiving a deafening roar in return.
The 15,000-strong crowd had been singing La Marseillaise and chanting ‘Leon, Leon’ well before the start. And they will get to cheer their hero plenty more this week, as Marchand goes for gold in three other individual events.
Marchand won the 400 metres individual medley in an Olympic record time of 4min 2.95sec
World record holder Marchand was at his dominant best as he won the 400m race comfortably
Home favourite Marchand finished a massive 5.67sec clear of runner-up Tomoyuki Matsushita
The 15,000 crowd at Paris La Defense sang La Marseillaise and chanted ‘Leon, Leon’ all night
Poster boy Leon Marchand has been central to publicity at the Paris Games with the huge 690ft Tour Montparnasse in the south of Paris covered in a photo of him on the starting blocks
Brit Max Litchfield was second with 50m to go but ended fourth for the third straight Olympics
The world record holder finished a massive 5.67sec clear of Japan’s Tomoyuki Matsushita.
American Carson Foster was in third and, agonisingly, Britain’s Max Litchfield finished fourth for the third Olympics in a row.
Litchfield was in the silver medal spot with 50m to go but was caught up and missed out on a bronze by just 0.19sec despite breaking his own British record.
‘I’m just gutted,’ the 29-year-old said, fighting back tears. ‘I’ve given absolutely everything — emotionally, mentally, physically.
‘I’m just the wrong side of it again. But that’s not the end for me. Hopefully my body can hold out for four more years.’
Britain have medal hopes in tonight’s 200m freestyle, with Duncan Scott, the runner-up from Tokyo 2020, and Matt Richards, the 2023 world champion, both qualifying for the final.
Scott finished second in his semi-final in 1min 44.94sec, 0.41sec behind Romanian favourite David Popovici.
Angharad Evans came fourth in her 100m breaststroke semi-final and Oliver Morgan was third in his 100m backstroke semi. Both of their finals are tonight.