Bob Bowman Discusses Next Steps for Leon Marchand: ‘I Don’t Think He’s Anything Near What He’s Capable of Doing’
Coming off a five-medal haul at the Olympic Games in Paris, French star Leon Marchand took six weeks to recharge and prepare for his return to the training grind that has made him a future Hall of Famer. Marchand obviously exerted significant physical energy en route to four individual gold medals at La Defense Arena. But the mental toll of an Olympics, especially one in front of a home nation, was equally taxing.
It made sense, then, for Marchand to embark on a break and operate on a schedule that was by his design, and not tethered to the demands of his sport. Now, though, Marchand is back in the water, training under his French coach Nicolas Castel in Toulouse. The plan is for the 22-year-old to race in the upcoming World Cup stops in Asia, and then compete at December’s World Short Course Championships in Budapest.
While in Toulouse, Marchand is working with the man who developed his skills on the road to Olympic-hero status. Castel guided Marchand to the final of the 400-meter individual medley at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, and he is currently in communication with Bob Bowman, who took the reins of Marchand when he headed to Arizona State University. Following the World Short Course Championships, Marchand will reunite with Bowman in Austin, where Bowman is now guiding the legendary program at the University of Texas.
Bob Bowman, coach during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at La Defense Arena in Paris (France), July 27, 2024.
Bowman was in the Philadelphia area on Sunday, speaking at several sessions of the Eastern States Clinic. He indicated that Marchand is likely to mix up his program during the World Cup. The first stop is scheduled for Shanghai from Oct., with Incheon (Oct. 24-26) and Singapore (Oct. 30-Nov. 1) following.
“I think you’ll see in the World Cups that he’ll play with different events and see what happens,” Bowman said. “I think he’s definitely going to look at not just doing the 400 IM full go this year.”
Marchand is inarguably the most dominant swimmer in the world, his versatility clearly on display during the Paris. In addition to blasting the fields in the 200 IM and 400 IM, Marchand secured gold medals in the 200 breaststroke and 200 butterfly. His breaststroke leg also helped France earn a bronze medal in the 400 medley relay.
More, Marchand set NCAA records in the 200 freestyle and 500 freestyle, evidence of his ability to flourish in a wide range of events. Bowman suggested that while Marchand might not contest the middle-distance freestyle events at a World Championships, his pupil will likely see action in a 200 freestyle or 400 freestyle at some point. That potential is intriguing, along with what the Frenchman – young and still developing physically – might be able to do as his career progresses.
“I don’t think he’s anything near what he’s capable of doing,” Bowman said. “I think there are definitely things that he can change and continue to develop over time, and in the next four years. I think there’s plenty of room for him to go fast.
“It’s the holistic package – the strength, things away from the pool like recovery modalities. There are some technical issues that we can work on in his strokes which I think would improve them. And he’s open to it.”
I think he can also surprise us at 200-meter backstroke.