Léon Marchand skips the 200m breaststroke and 200m butterfly at the World Swimming Championships

Léon Marchand's schedule for the World Swimming Championships, which run until August 3 in Singapore, has been revised downwards. The four-time Olympic champion at the Paris Games will skip the 200m breaststroke and 200m butterfly to focus on the 200m individual medley and 400m individual medley, Michel Coloma, president of the TOEC Dolphins, told Agence France-Presse, confirming information revealed to Franceinfo by Nicolas Castel, the athlete's coach at the Toulouse club.

Léon Marchand has therefore decided to focus on his favorite events. In 2023, he erased the American Michael Phelps' world record in the 400m medley. During the 2024 Olympic final, the Frenchman came very close to the mark set in 2011 in the 200m medley by another American, Ryan Lochte: 1 min 54.06 against 1 min 54. In Singapore, he could go for this reference. "He wants to see what it's like (...) , without having other races in his legs," explains Mr. Coloma.

With this new schedule, the Toulouse native will begin his World Championships on July 30, one day later than initially expected, with the 200m medley heats. The final is scheduled for the following day.