It turns out that the comparisons to Michael Phelps for Léon Marchand were spot on.
The 22-year-old French swimmer didn’t feel burdened by the high expectations.
On Wednesday night, Marchand pulled off an impressive feat, winning both the 200-meter butterfly and the 200 breaststroke just two hours apart, with a cheering home crowd supporting him every step of the way.
These were two tough races, each with a different stroke, and Marchand set Olympic records in both, earning two gold medals.
Take that, Phelps, who also did several doubles while winning a record eight golds at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
“I’m a really shy person,” Marchand said. “I was kind of the center of attention during those two races. I was trying to get the energy from the whole crowd. They’re amazing to me, pushing me in every final.”
Marchand impressed the French fans, even on a night when Katie Ledecky won another gold medal. He secured his second and third victories at La Defense Arena and has become one of the standout figures of the Paris Games.
After coming from behind to beat world-record holder and defending Olympic champion Kristóf Milák in the 200 fly with a dramatic finish, Marchand dominated the 200 breast.
He led from start to finish, finishing in 2 minutes, 5.85 seconds, as more than 15,000 fans—many holding cardboard cutouts of his smiling face—cheered loudly in La Defense Arena.
“Léon! Léon! Léon!” they chanted, a cheer that was sure to continue throughout the night in Paris.
