Leon Marchand made history after winning the gold medal and setting an Olympic record for the 400m Individual Medley at the Paris Olympics. Bringing home glory to the French, the young swimmer knew he would make big strides after the amount of training and hurdles he went through.
And his efforts were hailed by none other than the swimming GOAT- Michael Phelps himself. Phelps, who previously held the Olympic record for the Men’s 400m Individual Medley, witnessed the French prodigy surpass his time by a few milliseconds.
He was proud of Marchand for this and several other achievements that had shone through at the Paris Olympics. In an interview at the Pat MacAfee show, the Baltimore Bullet revealed his true delight about the 22-year-old Frenchman’s win and how he witnessed the young swimmer break his record.
“For me, nobody believed that I was able to do the things I was trying to do. But I did deep down inside. Same thing for him…I love it.”
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It seems that Phelps and Marchand share many similarities. Pointing that out, the GOAT spoke about his view on the young athlete’s future. The fact that Marchand could come back and achieve what he truly desired at the Olympics was an attitude that Phelps appreciated.
“I love being able to see a kid, a young man, being able to just shut up and dream…him and I have so many similarities.”
Being able to share a champion’s mindset with the legendary swimmer amidst several other factors was what gave the young swimmer an edge over the others. This advantage was further solidified when Phelps’ coach took Marchand under his wing.
Following in the footsteps of Olympians to receiving elite mentorship
Marchand already has a strong background in the sport, with his parents being former Olympians specializing in the same category. However, when his dreams became a serious affair, the young swimmer decided to go only for the best mentoring option he could find.
Opting to pursue higher education in Arizona, Marchand increased his chances of having a better go at honing his skills. And who better to take him under his wing than the coach of the GOAT of swimming himself?
Bob Bowman, who mentored and made sure Michael Phelps gave his level best at every competition while also playing the role of a father figure, knew Marchand would be worth the effort. Together, the star coach and the champion swimmer trained to beat the best across the world, and they succeeded!
