Leon Marchand made history at the Paris Games by becoming the first French athlete to win four individual gold medals at a single Summer Olympics. Marchand’s latest victory came in the men’s 200-meter individual medley, where he set an Olympic record time of 1 minute, 54.06 seconds, just 0.06 seconds short of Ryan Lochte’s record. The 22-year-old swimmer from Toulouse had previously won gold in the 400-meter individual medley, 200-meter butterfly, and 200-meter breaststroke.
Marchand’s success was celebrated by the French fans, with President Emmanuel Macron cheering him on from the stands. His fellow competitors, including Britain’s Duncan Scott, acknowledged Marchand’s dominance in the pool and his newfound status as a global superstar. Marchand’s incredible performances have earned him comparisons to American swimming legends Michael Phelps and Mark Spitz.
In other swimming events at the Paris Games, Australia’s Kaylee McKeown secured her second Olympic backstroke double by winning gold in the 200 meters. The unassuming 23-year-old’s achievement of four gold medals in four individual events over two consecutive Olympics is unprecedented in Australian swimming history. Meanwhile, Cameron McEvoy claimed his first Olympic gold in the men’s 50-meter freestyle, edging out Ben Proud of Britain and Florent Manaudou of France.
The Paris Games continue to showcase incredible performances from athletes across the globe, with records being broken and new stars emerging on the world stage.
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