Leon Marchand made Olympics history on Wednesday night by becoming the first swimmer to win the 200m butterfly and breaststroke in the same session. The Frenchman lifted the roof off Paris’ La Defense Arena twice by winning both races in the space of two hours, achieving a feat that even Michael Phelps didn’t attempt.
Marchand had already won gold in the 400m individual medley before adding a second and third in miraculous fashion at his home Games.
The 22-year-old first stormed to victory in the 200m butterfly, setting a new Olympic Record of 1:51.21, pipping Hungary’s Kristof Milak, the previous record holder.
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After a brief break, Marchand re-emerged to an explosive ovation and produced an even more impressive showing in the 200m breaststroke.
He not only won his second gold medal in as many hours, but he set another Olympic Record of 2:05.85 to beat Australian favourite Zac Stubblety-Cook.
Two gold medals in as many hours – a tally more than most don’t achieve in their entire swimming career. France’s poster boy has lived up to the hype.
Phelps was no stranger to success, winning 28 Olympic medals across his iconic career, 23 of them gold. But never did he achieve this feat.
He will be proud of the efforts of Marchand, who is coached in the United States by Phelps’ former mentor, Bob Bowman.
Andy Jameson, BBC’s main commentator for the coverage alongside Adrian Moorhouse, hailed the Frenchman after his history-making exploits in the capital.
“Leon Marchand is an absolute sensation. He’s done the unthinkable, he’s done the double. He won the 200m butterfly in this session and also won the 200m breaststroke,” Jameson said.
“A double Olympic champion in one session. I cannot believe it. Not even Michael Phelps tried that – the audacity!
“200 fly and 200 breaststroke – I cannot believe he even tried it, nevermind mind winning them both. This guy is just off-the-scale brilliant.
“The audacity to even try it. Phelps didn’t try it, his coach, Phelps’ old coach who coaches Marchand now, told Marchand to not even try it!”
Moorhouse added: “When you talk of Michael Phelps, when you talk of Ian Thorpe, you are now going to have to talk about Leon Marchand because that is one of the best things I think we have ever seen.
“The fans in this arena are just trying to breathe this in, to appreciate it.
“They have been at a night where history has been made. We are watching the birth of a phenomenal, world-class Olympic swimmer.