Paris Olympics, Day 6: Leon Marchand Has No Trouble Reaching 200 IM Final

Photo Courtesy: DeepBlueMedia

Paris Olympics, Day 6: Leon Marchand Has No Trouble Reaching 200 IM Final

The line to Paris La Defense Arena Thursday night stretched some 600 meters or more 90 minutes before the 13th session of the Paris Olympics swim program began. It staked for what normally is a 10-minute walk from the arena to Arche de la Defense.

That can mean only one thing in the City of Light: Leon Marchand is in the pool.

Marchand handled his business Thursday without drama in the semifinals of the men’s 200 individual medley, setting the top time of 1:56.31. The semis result was the same as the 400 IM final, with Carson Foster second.

Marchand was coming off a legendary double, winning gold in the men’s 200 butterfly and 200 breaststroke on Wednesday night. If he can win the 200 IM, he would become just the third individual – joining Michael Phelps (twice), Mark Spitz and Kristin Otto – to win four individual events at the same Olympic Games.

World record: Ryan Lochte, U.S., 1:54.00 (2011)
Olympic record: Michael Phelps, U.S., 1:54.23 (2008)
Tokyo Olympic champion: Wang Shun, China, 1:55.00

“I feel better than this morning,” Marchand said. “I will be in the center tomorrow, that was the goal. I went full gas, it wasn’t easy. I’ll try to recover now because I’m exhausted. I have to do a big night, to eat and drink well, then it’ll be good for tomorrow.”

Two of the medalists form Tokyo got through to the final. Reigning gold medalist Wang Shun of China went 1:56.54 to finish third in the first heat and fourth overall. Duncan Scott, the silver medalist in Tokyo and at the Fukuoka World Championships last year, was second in the first heat of two in 1:56.49. That is good for third.

“I need to stick to my own race plan tomorrow night: there’s so many people in with great quality,” Scott said. “It’s just been constant questions about Leon but not one thing about Carson, the current world champion, Finlay Knox, Deano won a bronze last year at worlds – the list goes on and on. The Olympic champion, Wang Shun, the quality on that field tomorrow night is pretty exceptional so it’s just something to be pretty proud of and excited to get in amongst it.”

Swiss swimmer Jeremy Desplanches, looking to build on his bronze in Tokyo and with countryman Roman Mityukov getting one earlier in the night in the 200 back, won’t do that, finishing a distant 13th.

Foster won the first heat, opening up an edge in breaststroke and holding it on the way home to resist a charge from Scott and Wang.

Marchand dominated the second heat, leading after butterfly, building his backstroke and accumulating a cushion for the freestyle leg. He had only Daiya Seto for company by that point, but he outstroked the Japanese veteran coming home. Seto finished in 1:56.59 for fifth.

Tom Dean, the bronze medalist in Fukuoka, was sixth in 1:56.92, ahead of Alberto Razzetti of Italy. Shaine Casas had a solid 1:57.82 but misses out in ninth. Finlay Knox snuck into the final finals spot in 1:57.76.

“I can’t wait,” Dean said. “It’ll probably be one of my last races here at this Olympic Games because we’ve got such strong relay teams and it’ll be my last individual. I really wanted to be part of that final because it’s going to be so exciting.”

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