2024 PARIS SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES
- Pool Swimming: July 27 – August 4, 2024
- Open Water Swimming: August 8 – 9, 2024
- La Défense Arena — Paris, France
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Leon Marchand swam to gold in the men’s 400 IM in front of his home crowd. Marchand also swam to a new Olympic Record of a 4:02.95, breaking Michael Phelps‘ record from the 2008 Games.
“The atmosphere was amazing, I don’t know how to explain it,” Marchand said. “I had goosebumps before, and during the race too. On the breaststroke section I could hear everyone just cheering for me. That was special and winning today was really amazing for me. I opened my eyes, I listened to everything going on around me, and that really pushed me to do a good race.
The US did not go without a medal in the event as first-time Olympian Carson Foster swam to bronze. Foster also recognized the atmosphere inside of the stadium.
“It was pretty wild. It sounded like a soccer stadium,” Foster said. “But it is pretty cool. It’s so special for Leon to do that in his own country. That’s something I’ll be able to tell my kids about one day, hopefully. I swam next to Leon in his home country, in his home Olympics.
The US women had a 1-2 finish in the women’s 100 butterfly. After just missing the podium with a 4th place finish in Tokyo, Torri Huske was on her revenge tour tonight, touching first for gold.
“The key was my amazing support system. I have my family to thank, my friends, Huske said. “Of course, everyone at Stanford. love my Stanford home, all my teammates who push me every day, my coach. I wouldn’t be here today without them. They made this moment happen.”
Behind Huske was Gretchen Walsh, who came in as the top seed in heading into finals after swimming an Olympic Record in semifinals. Walsh is the World Record holder in the event and swam to her first individual Olympic medal winning silver.
“I’m so proud of Torri, she has worked so hard for that. I’m proud of myself,” Walsh said. “That was what America needed and wanted. It was a really special moment we shared up there on the podium.”
Italy’s Nicolo Martinenghi posted an upset swimming a 59.03 to win the men’s 100 breaststroke. Martinenghi won bronze in Tokyo and chased down two-time reigning champion Adam Peaty of Great Britain who went on to tie with Nic Fink of the US for silver.
Martinenghi spoke of his win, “Today’s the final step, the gold medal in the Olympic Games, that’s my dream. I don’t know what to say. I can say that I am Olympic champion.”
Although he was unable to three-peat, Peaty still stood on the podium once again at the Olympics in the event. “For me, I feel like I’ve still won,” Peaty said. “That’s the beauty of it. My heart, I put my all into it and I couldn’t have put any more. My son there was obviously enjoying it, and that’s the true joy in it.”
Fink of the US, who has a full time job as an engineer and will soon become a father, also stood on the podium for silver. “It’s hard for me to process. I have a six-day break before more events. Everything going on in my life outside the pool has been really helpful to this accomplishment in my career. I am still in meet mode right now, but I am sure after it’s over, I will be better able to understand.”
I’m glad I waited until the NBC primetime telecast. The extra hours gave them plenty of time to frame everything properly regarding Marchand and this race. It’s many times more dramatic and powerful than the live afternoon version, which I watched later.
I aint French, Marchand isn’t my favorite swimmer… but I had chills that whole race and tears afterwards. The deafening crowd, the margin of victory, the celebration and exit… Absolutely incredible in so many ways.
What bothers me is that we will never know what he could have gone. He obviously nailed his training and taper, he had the crowd behind him, but he had to do it in a joke of a pool. Would he have gone 4:02.00? 4:01? Dare I say 3:59?
Reminds me of how we will never know what Dressel would have done in 2020 without the postponement.
In both cases it’s like we were set to see something magical, but something got in… Read more »
I think there are still more years to see what Leon can achieve at his peak in the event. It’s a bummer it didn’t happen today, but 4:01 and maybe even faster are still on the table for probably the next 4-6 years.
Wonder how many PTO days Fink had to take
Carson continuing to prove he’s one of the classiest and nicest guys in the sport
Is there now any doubt that this pool is VERY SLOW?
Marchand would have decimated the WR in a fast pool.
When was the last time a 59 won m100 breast at Olympics or World Championship?
W100 fly is slow compared to what Huske and Walsh could have swum. Zhang Yufei won bronze in 56.21. In Tokyo, Emma McKeon won bronze in 55.7
Two days gone, and NO WORLD RECORD?
I’m frustrated.
2007 worlds, which was won in 59.80.
across london, rio and tokyo, an average of 80% of individual olympic finals were won with a season-best. we are at 20% so far, since marchand has been the only one to drop time.
going into day 2, this was the first olympics since 1992 to not have a wr on the first day. but even 1992 had a wr by end of the second day
As a longtime of swimming, this is very frustrating.
Paris had 7 years to get things right, and they sabotaged their own star from smashing WR in front of home crowd. The crowd has been fantastic but WR would have brought the house down (see Ian Thorpe in 400 free and m4x100 free in Sydney 2000)