Leon Marchand achieved the feat in the semi-finals of the 2025 World Swimming Championships currently taking place in Singapore. In front of a large crowd at the World Aquatics Championships Arena, Leon Marchand competed in lane 4 of the second heat and quickly created a gap in the backstroke, continued to accelerate in the breaststroke and then continuously increased the gap in the sprint.
Leon Marchand breaks 11-year-old world record
Touching the pool wall after 1 minute 52 seconds 69, Leon Marchand not only led the semi-finals but also broke the old world record of 1 minute 54 seconds set by Ryan Lochte (USA) in 2011 in Shanghai. "I still can't believe I just swam 1 minute 52 seconds. It's really crazy. I'm extremely happy that everything went really perfectly" - Marchand emotionally shared after completing the historic swim.
Leon Marchand said he had prepared thoroughly, both physically and mentally: "Before the competition, I felt very light in my body. All the technical movements were smooth. Coach Bob Bowman and I agreed that this was the time to unleash all our strength. I started quickly and kept all my diving sections exactly 15m below the surface. I did not make any significant mistakes. Although I did not feel my speed clearly while swimming, I knew I had put in all my strength, every stroke was at full speed."
Marchand breaks world record by more than 1 second
This victory is all the more impressive considering that Leon Marchand did not compete in all the events as at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he won 4 individual gold medals and 1 relay bronze, setting 4 Olympic records. In Singapore this time, he focused only on the 200m and 400m individual medley events.
Leon Marchand also shared that the first 100m - once a weakness - has now become his advantage: "I swam the first 100m much better than before. In the last 50m, I was still being chased. I kept a good rhythm and accelerated at the right time, although I was really tired because I was swimming at a very high speed".
Leon Marchand continues to conquer the peaks on the green track
The 23-year-old swimmer is considered an "all-round phenomenon" in world swimming. Since the 2024 Paris Olympics, he has maintained his form and continuously conquered new milestones. "I just want to stop for a moment to feel this joy. I know I have chosen the right path this past year, and I am truly grateful to everyone who has supported me."
With his current form, fans have every reason to expect Leon Marchand to create more miracles in the rest of the tournament in Singapore.
Swimmer Vo Thi My Tien placed first in a qualifying round and 30th overall in the women's 200m medley. Three male swimmers Pham Quang Bao (200m breaststroke), Nguyen Huy Hoang (1,500m freestyle) and Nguyen Quang Thuan (400m medley) will compete on July 31, August 2 and August 3, respectively.
Source: https://nld.com.vn/leon-marchand-pha-ky-luc-the-gioi-noi-dung-boi-200m-hon-hop-tai-singapore-196250731081332566.htm
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