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Léon Marchand Height, Age, Girlfriend, Family, Biography & More

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Hometown: Toulouse, France
Height: 6' 2"
Age: 21 Years

Léon Marchand

Bio/Wiki
NicknameThe new Monster
Note: In July 2023, when he broke Michael Phelps' 400m individual medley record, the Japanese started calling Marchand "Shin-Kaibutsu," which literally means "the new monster" in English. [1]Le Monde
ProfessionSwimmer
Famous forBreaking Michael Phelps' last remaining world record in the 400 meters individual medley [2]CNN
Physical Stats & More
[3]Arizona State University News Heightin centimeters- 187 cm
in meters- 1.87 m
in feet & inches- 6’ 2”
[4]Arizona State University News Weightin kilograms- 77 kg
in pounds- 170 lbs
Body Measurements (approx.)- Chest: 42 Inches
- Waist: 34 Inches
- Biceps: 14 Inches
Eye ColourPool Blue [5]Le Monde
Hair ColourDark Ash Blond
Career (Swimming)
Strokes• Breaststroke
• Individual medley
• Butterfly
College TeamArizona State University
Coach• Robert "Bob" Bowman (in the United States)
• Nicolas Castel (in Toulouse, France)
MedalsGold

• In 400 m medley at the 2023 World Championships (LC), Fukuoka
• In 200 m medley at the 2023 World Championships (LC), Fukuoka
• In 200 m butterfly at the 2023 World Championships (LC), Fukuoka
• In 400 m medley at the 2022 World Championships (LC), Budapest
• In 200 m medley at the 2022 World Championships (LC), Budapest
• In 200 m individual medley at the 2022 World Championships
• In 400 m individual medley at the 2022 World Championships
• In 200 yd breaststroke at the 2022 NCAA Championships
• In 200 yd individual medley at the 2022 NCAA Championships

Silver

• In 200 m butterfly at the World Championships (LC), Budapest
• In 400 yd individual medley at the 2022 NCAA Championships
• In 4×100 yd freestyle at the 2022 NCAA Championships
• In 200 m butterfly at the 2022 World Championships

Bronze

• In 400 m medley at the 2019 World Junior Championships, Budapest
• In 200 m breaststroke at the 2019 European Junior Championships, Kazan
• In 400 m medley at the 2019 European Junior Championships, Kazan
• In 400 m individual medley at the 2019 World Junior Championships
Léon Marchand with his medals
Awards• In 2021-2022, he won Swimmer of the Year (Men's) award at Pac-12 Conference.
• In 2021-2022, he won Freshman of the Year (Men's) award at Pac-12 Conference.
• In 2022, he won Swammy Award, NCAA Swimmer of the Meet (Men's) by Swim Swam.
• In 2022, he won Swammy Award, NCAA Freshman of the Year (Men's) by Swim Swam.
• In 2022, he won Swimmer of the Year (Men's) by College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA).
• In 2023, he won Swimmer of the Meet, Pac-12 Conference Men's Swimming and Diving Championships at Pac-12 Conference.
Personal Life
Date of Birth17 May 2002 (Friday)
Age (as of 2023)21 Years
BirthplaceToulouse, France
Zodiac signTaurus
NationalityFrench
HometownToulouse, France
College/UniversityArizona State University
Educational QualificationPursuing a degree in computer science at Arizona State University [6]Teller Report
Relationships & More
Marital StatusUnmarried
Affairs/GirlfriendsNot Known
Family
Wife/SpouseN/A
ParentsFather- Xavier Marchand (former swimmer)
Léon Marchand (left) with his father, Xavier Marchand
Mother- Céline Bonnet (former swimmer; she works at Air France.)
Léon Marchand's mother, Céline Bonnet
SiblingsHe has a brother named Oscar Marchand (swimmer).
Léon Marchand with his brother Oscar
Other RelativesUncle- Christophe Marchand (former freestyle swimmer)
Léon Marchand's uncle Christophe Marchand

Léon Marchand at Tokyo Olympics

Some Lesser Known Facts About Léon Marchand

  • Léon Marchand is a French swimmer who holds the world record in the long course 400 metre individual medley. He broke Michael Phelps‘ world record in the 400 meters individual medley in July 2023.
  • He grew up in a family of swimmers. His father, Xavier Marchand, competed in the 1996 and 2000 Summer Olympics for France, while his mother, Céline Bonnet, took part in the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona. [7]La Dépêche
  • According to Léon, at the beginning, he wasn’t very sporty or competitive, and a future career in the sport wasn’t on his mind. When he was studying in the 6th grade, he developed an interest in swimming for the first time. [8]La Dépêche He says,

    At the beginning, I just did swimming because I had to do a sport.” [9]The State Press

  • While growing up in Toulouse, France, Léon started learning the basics of swimming at a very young age; however, when he was seven years old, he quit swimming as he found that the water was too cold. Léon says,

    I was like, really skinny and the pool was just awful. So, I quit swimming for two years.”

  • Later, he tried to take up other sports, including rugby. Although his parents encouraged him when he decided to pursue other sports, Léon was never good at other sports as he excelled in swimming. So, at the age of nine, he returned to swimming.
  • Initially, Marchand was coached by Nicolas Castel, a swimming coach for Les Dauphins du TOEC, a swimming sports club based in Toulouse, France.

    Léon Marchand with his trainer Nicolas Castel (right)

    Léon Marchand with his trainer Nicolas Castel (right)

  • In April 2019, he won a French junior champion title in the 200m butterfly held in Rennes. [10]La Dépêche
  • In July 2019, he won two bronze medals (200m breaststroke and 400m medley) at the European Championships held in Kazan, Russia. [11]La Dépêche
  • In August 2019, he won bronze in the 400 metre individual medley, with a French record time of 4:16.37, at the World Junior Swimming Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
  • At the 2021 French Elite Swimming Championships in Chartres, Marchand, with a personal best and French record time of 4:09.65 in the 400 metre individual medley, qualified for the 2020 Summer Olympics.
  • At the 2020 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan, he couldn’t get any medals; he was placed sixth in the 400 metre individual medley with a 4:11.16, tenth in the 4×100 metre medley relay, 14th in the 200 metre butterfly with a 1:55.68, and 18th in the 200 metre individual medley with a 1:58.30.

    Léon Marchand at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

    Léon Marchand at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

  • To make him a better swimmer, his parents wanted him to leave Toulouse and travel overseas. Léon decided to attend Arizona State University, where he started training under Robert “Bob” Bowman while pursuing a degree in computer science; Bowman had coached Michael Phelps. According to Léon Marchand, the first few weeks at ASU were rough as he had to learn a new language and how to take care of himself. Marchand says,

    In class, I had to listen a lot just to understand. Every day I was going to bed at like 5 p.m. because I was dead. But it got better. Now, I can do everything myself, which is a great thing.”

  • According to Bowman, while watching Phelps in practice, he would often think he was watching something no one had ever done before, and when he started training Marchand, he got the same feeling. While training Marchand, Bowman found his dedication level almost similar to Michael Phelps’. Bowman says,

    They’re very different personality-wise, but the way they approach the actual racing and the training is very similar. They’re very consistent on a day-to-day basis, and at a consistently high level in training every day.”

    Bob Bowman (standimg right along the pool side) watching while Léon Marchand practising in the pool

    Bob Bowman (standimg right along the pool side) watching while Léon Marchand practising in the pool

    Bowman once recalled a practice when he challenged Marchand to see how fast he could swim to which Marchand asked what Phelps’ best time was, which was 4 minutes and 23 seconds. Bowman said,

    So Léon (does) 4:18, and I know nobody’s doing that. And then he swam it at a meet two weeks later, and it was like the fifth-fastest one ever. So, he’s pretty good at mentally comparing himself to Michael.”

    On being compared with Phelps, Marchand says,

    Sometimes Bob tells me that Michael would have achieved such and such a time. Obviously, I compare myself but it’s not the best thing to do. But it does motivate me. I’m curious to know things like that.” [12]Olympics

  • In his freshman season at the North Carolina State Invite, Marchand broke the school record in the 200 fly, 200 and 400 IM, and the 800 free relay. [13]The State Press
  • At the 2022 NCAA Division I Championships held in Atlanta, United States, Léon registered his first individual NCAA title win of his freshman year for the Arizona State Sun Devils; he won in the 200 yard individual medley. With his time of 1:37.69, Marchand set new NCAA, NCAA Championships, and US Open records. This is considered the best performance of his collegiate career. [14]The State Press On this achievement, Marchand said,

    It was pretty amazing. I didn’t know I would be that fast. I was just ready for the NCAAs and the adaptation to shock.”

    He also broke the record of five-time Tokyo 2020 gold medallist Caeleb Dressel. In an interview, while talking about breaking Caeleb’s record, Marchand said,

    Four years ago, my dad showed me videos of the NCAA finals. I was watching Dressel and saying to myself, this is incredible, his laps are crazy. Two years later he won loads of golds at Tokyo 2020. The guy was my idol, I didn’t even think about possibly beating his record. He congratulated me and was very happy his record had been beaten.” [15]Olympics

  • At the 2022 Pro Swim Series at Northside Swim Center in San Antonio, United States, Marchand won silver, setting a new French record in the 200 metre individual medley with a time of 1:56.95. [16]France 24
  • At the 2022 World Aquatics Championships held in Budapest, Hungary, he won gold in the 400 metre individual medley, setting a new European record and Championships record with a time of 4:04.28. [17]Omega Timing He also won gold in the 200 metre individual medley, becoming the third French swimmer to achieve two gold medals in individual events at a single FINA World Aquatics Championships; Laure Manaudou and Florent Manaudou had earlier achieved the feat. [18]L’Internaute With this, Marchand also broke his father’s record in the 200m IM.

  • At the 2022 Spanish Summer Championships held in Sabadell, Spain, he set a new French record in the 200 metre breaststroke with a time of 2:08.76. [19]Royal Spanish Swimming Federation
  • In January 2023, in a dual meet against the California Golden Bears, Marchand set new NCAA and US Open records in the 400 yard individual medley with a time of 3:31.84. [20]Swimming World
  • At the 2023 Pac-12 Conference Championships, points earned by Marchand helped Arizona State Sun Devils earn its first team Pac-12 Conference Championships title. [21]Arizona State Sun Devils
  • In March 2023, his performances contributed to the first-ever top-five finish for the Arizona State Sun Devils men’s swim program at a men’s NCAA Division I Swimming and Diving Championships. [22]Arizona State Sun Devils
  • At the 2023 NCAA Championships, with a 1:36.34 in the 200 yard individual medley, he won the NCAA title for the second consecutive year.

  • In April 2023, he won the 400 metre individual medley with a 4:07.80, the 200 metre butterfly with a 1:55.58, the 200 metre breaststroke with a 2:10.52, and the 200 metre individual medley with a 1:55.69 at the TYR Pro Swim Series. [23]Omega Timing
  • At the 2023 French Elite Swimming Championships held in Rennes, he won the gold medal in the 200 metre breaststroke. [24]France Televisions
  • At the 2023 World Aquatics Championships held in Fukuoka, Japan, he won in the men’s 400m individual medley (IM) with a record of 4:02.50, breaking Michael Phelps‘ last-standing individual world record at the 2008 Beijing Olympics by 1.34 seconds. At the victory ceremony, Michael Phelps presented Marchand with the gold medal. On this achievement, Marchand said,

    That was insane, one of the most painful things I’ve done. It was amazing to do it here and the time is crazy. It’s excellent, I train everyay for that. I’m two seconds faster than my previous record, I beat the world record, it’s amazing… I don’t know what to say, I’m so happy.” [25]CNN

    Michael Phelps presented Marchand with the gold medal at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships held in Fukuoka, Japan

    Michael Phelps presented Marchand with the gold medal at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships held in Fukuoka, Japan

  • Léon doesn’t mind getting himself compared with the other top swimmers who are taller and more muscular than him. He says,

    I’m trying to show how you can work with your own body. You don’t have to be very big or very tall to swim fast or do your own thing. I just want to show that when you’re different you can (succeed).”

  • He loves flying airplanes and wants to get his private pilot’s license so that he can fly over the Grand Canyon. According to Marchand, he started getting a pilot’s license in France, and when he moved to the United States, he kept on pursuing to get the same. In an interview, Marchand talked about this and said,

    I’m trying to finish my pilot’s license. I started in France but I didn’t have time to do it. I told myself that I was going to finish it in the US. I would like to have my private pilot’s license. In addition to Arizona, c “is great because you can go see the Grand Canyon, it’s an hour by plane. So it’s really the dream!” [26]Teller Report

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