2025 World Championships Previews: Marchand Poised to Make Dominance in 4 IM Go On and On

2025 World Championships

• July 27 – August 3, 2025 (pool swimming)
• Singapore, Singapore
• World Aquatics Championships Arena
• LCM (50m)
• Meet Central
• Live Results
• SwimSwam Preview Index
• Psych Sheet (Google Sheet Courtesy of Troyy)
• Psych Sheet (PDF)

By the Numbers – Men’s 400 I.M.

• World Record: 4:02.50 – Leon Marchand, France (2023)
• World Junior Record: 4:10.02 – Ilya Borodin, Russia (2021)
• Championship Record: 4:02.50 – Leon Marchand, France (2023)
• 2023 World Champion: Leon Marchand (FRA) – 4:02.50
• 2024 Olympic Champion: Leon Marchand (FRA) – 4:02.95

Returning Olympic Finalists

• Leon Marchand (Gold), Tomoyuki Matsushita (Silver), Carson Foster (Bronze), Max Litchfield (4th), Alberto Razzetti (5th), Lewis Clareburt (6th), Cedric Büssing (8th)

It’s night two of the swimming portion of the 2024 Paris Olympics. All eyes are on home nation star Leon Marchand. It’s his first swim under the big lights, and expectations could not be higher. As the two-time defending World Champion and having broken the longest-standing World Record the previous summer, Marchand had much to live up to.

Leading from the get-go, Marchand put on a masterclass of a race and never looked to be under any pressure. Under his WR by .04 after the breaststroke, Marchand just slowly slipped away from his pace and touched little under half a second back of best time, claiming his Olympic medal with a winning time of 4:02.95, a time that undercut the Olympic record by a near second.

While the fold medal was a forgone conclusion, the battle for the other medals was thrilling with Japan’s young star Tomoyuki Matsushita moving up from 5th place, passing countryman Daiya Seto, one of the most decorated IMers in the Worlds, en route to just outtouching the USA’s Carson Foster 4:08.62 to 4:08.66.

“Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger”

Post-Olympic blues or breaks are relatively common, with the likes of fellow Olympic Champions Ariarne Titmus and Kristof Milak taking time away from the sport for one reason or another. Marchand did the same, albeit in a different fashion. Marchand competed in the World Cup series, winning the 400 IM at all three stops, setting a new PB and French Record in Incheon. However, he withdrew from Short Course Worlds, citing exhaustion. A subluxated shoulder, accompanied by a cracked rib, suffered while training in Australia at the beginning of 2025, saw Marchand not return to competition until late April of this year, where he took 2nd in the 400 IM at the Fort Lauderdale Pro Swim Series meet, recording a time of 4:13.86.

Speaking after the race, Marchand said, “I didn’t know where I was before the meet… now I know”. He certainly didn’t stay long in the 4:13s as, after having been given special dispensation to qualify for the French Worlds team, while swimming in Texas, Marchand blasted his way to a world-leading time of 4:07.11 at the Longhorn Aquatics meet in mid-May, just two weeks removed from the PSS in Fort Lauderdale.

The time is a far cry from his 4:02.95 from the previous summer, but when compared to his other times at non-medaling meets, the time is exemplary. Not only is it the fastest time in the World this season, it is also the fourth fastest time of his career, sitting only behind his times from the 2022 and 2023 Worlds and his time from Paris.

While Marchand did not compete at the 2022 French Championships, he was 4:10.38 at the San Antonio PSS, and while not a total predictor of what’s to come, his time from Austin certainly should dispel any doubts about his form; in fact, they may be evidence that he is looking to rebreak his WR.  With the 400 IM at the end of the program in Singapore, Marchand’s success in his other events will likely be the most significant indicator of whether he can be under 4:02.50.

“Calling”

Not that many people would be interested in watching it but Japan would certainly be the favorites if ever there was a 4×400 IM relay. So deep are the Japanese in this event that they not only occupy four spots in the world’s top ten this season, but also seven of the top 16.

Japan’s strength in this event is not a new thing. Dating back to the 2011 Worlds, Japan has had at least one medalist in this event at every edition of this meet save one, missing out on the podium in the COVID-affected 2022 edition. Only the USA equals the feat, missing out on a spot on the podium at the sparsely attended 2024 edition. Until Marchand moved into the top of the podium (and 2024), one would have to go back to the 2005 Worlds to find a podium that was not topped by either a Japanese or American.

Most of that success for the Japanese can be attributed to Daiya Seto, who was the Champion in 2013, 2015, 2019, and the bronze medalist in 2017, 2024, and 2024. That said, Seto was a late addition to the roster for Japan at the 2024 Olympics, as he placed 2nd and outside of the Japanese federation’s qualifying time. Taking the top spot and the torch was the aforementioned Matsushita.

Tomoyuki Matsushita (photo: Jack Spitser)

Matsushita did not compete at his home Olympics, nor at the 2023 Worlds, instead traveling to the 2023 World Juniors, where he won the gold medal in a new Championship record time of 4:10.97. Last summer, the then 18-year-old swam his way to the silver medal, becoming the youngest to make the podium in the event since 1972.

Matsushita, claimed his spot on the podium with a time of 4:08.62, moving past three swimmers in the last 100, splitting 57.06 to take silver by just .04. Now 19, Matsushita seems poised to fully pick up the mantle as Japan’s next IM star as he has already surpassed that time this season, as he posted a new PB of 4:08.61 at March’s 2025 Japan Swim, a time that was at that moment World leading, and now ranks him 4th overall, but 3rd amongst entrants.

Just one spot behind him in this season’s ranking is his countryman Asaki Nishikawa. 7th on the entry lists, Nishikawa is following in the footsteps of his teammate as he is looking to continue the jump from a strong junior career into the big leagues. Recently turned 19, Nishikawa was the 2024 Junior Pan Pacs Champion, taking the title in 4:16.64. In the intervening 11 months, Nishikawa has sliced his time down to 4:10.91 in March and joined the sub-4:10 club with his second-place finish behind Matsushita, as he stopped the clock in 4:09.63. Like his compatriot, Nishikawa is a strong freestyler, having also taken 2nd in the 400 free at Junior Pan Pacs, so if either of them is close after the breaststroke, then their competitors better beware.

“Can’t You Hear Me Knocking”

After the heartbreak of missing the team in 2021, Foster has taken up the mantle as America’s premier IMer, following in the lofty footsteps of Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte, and Chase Kalisz. However, all of his attempts to reach the top of the podium in an individual event have been thwarted, mainly by his rival-turned-training partner, Marchand. With just seven months separating the two, Foster, the elder of the two, may have to bide his time and hope that either Marchand slips or Foster can make some gains under Bob Bowman‘s tutelage.

Carson Foster (R) (photo: Jack Spitser)

The 2022 and 2023 silver medalist in the event, Foster, looked poised to repeat the position behind him in Paris, but was just touched out by the young Japanese star in the closing meters. A strong all-around swimmer, Foster, who never really struggled with his freestyle, had made some gains in the stroke this season, briefly holding the American record in the 500 free and taking silver in the 400 free at December’s Short Course Worlds.

This year, Foster has been looking strong as his 4:09.51 from March’s PSS in Westmont, topped the rankings until the Japan Open. He avoided a showdown with Marchand in the Frenchman’s return to competition in Fort Lauderdale, but took second behind him in May, at the same meet where Marchand used to qualify for Worlds, touching in 4:11.81. At US Trials, Foster led the field into the finals, swimming 4:12.19, just a second off his prelims time from Paris.

The finals saw a familiar position for the Texas Longhorn as he was run down in the closing 50 with 1500 World Record holder, Bobby Finke, taking the win by .46 as he split 56.19 to Foster’s 57.71. Finke touched in a new PB of 4:07.46, a time that easily could medal in Singapore, but with the event occurring on the same night as the 1500, where he is the defending Olympic Champion, Finke opted to withdraw from the event, making Foster and his 4:07.92 the top US entrant. While being out-touched isn’t necessarily a confidence boost, the time is the 4th fastest of his career and faster than his bronze medal-winning time of 4:08.66 from Paris.

With Finke’s withdrawal, the other roster spot in the event fell to Rex Maurer. A training partner of Foster (and Marchand), Maurer had a banner year in the 2024-2025 season, and it’s not over yet. Transferring to Texas last summer, Maurer kicked off his season by breaking Foster’s hour-old American record in the 500. At NCAAs he claimed the title in two events, including the yards version of this event, setting a new PB of 3:34.00 in the process.

NCAAs was just the amuse-bouche as Maurer came into his own at US Nationals, placing no lower than 3rd in four events (all in PBs), having taken 3rd in the 200 free (earning a relay spot), taking 2nd in the 400 and 800 free, falling short of the A standard in the latter and 3rd in the 400 IM. His time of 4:09.65 not only represents his first time under 4:10, but it was his first time under 4:13. Ranked 6th in the world this season, and 8th in the entries, Maurer has a good shot of making the final, but will have to hold off foes both young and old, and while he will be hungry for a shot at a medal, no one is more hungry that Great Britain’s Max Litchfield.

LITCHFIELD-Max-CLAREBURT-Lewis-SETO-Daiya
credit Fabio Cetti

Litchfield last season finally broke through and earned a spot on the podium, by winning the silver medal at the 2024 Worlds in Doha. Litchfield has had an enamoration with placing 4th, having done so at the 2016 and 2021 Olympics, as well as at the 2017 Worlds.

While not a PB, his 4:10.40 in Doha was a sign of good things to come as he later that year in April set a new national record of 4:09.14, his first best in the event since 2017. In Paris, he continued his assault on the records book, breaking 4:09 for the first time recording a new best of 4:08.85, but once again finishing off the podium in 4th place,  just .19 away from a joint bronze.

At this year’s British Championships, Litchfield won the title with a time of 4:11.59, qualifying for Singapore. Although not as fast as his time from the 2024 edition of the meet, it was enough to secure a spot on the team. More recently, he placed 3rd in Rome at the Sette Colli Trophy behind Hungary’s Gabor Zombori and Alberto Razzetti. While not a negative sign, it may show that any competitor, save Marchand, will need to be on their game in the prelims, especially as Litchfield enters the meet as the 4th seed, but is just 11th in the World this season and 9th among entrants.

“Down Under”

Like Litchfield, Australia’s Brendon Smith and New Zealand’s Lewis Clareburt are seeded higher than their rankings in the world this season. Smith is seeded 9th at 4:10.18 with Clareburt just behind in 10th at 4:10.44. However, this season they rank 16th and 17th in the World, respectively, with times of 4:12.81 and 4:13.06. While some of that discrepancy can be made up for by the number of Japanese swimmers not competing, it is still an uncomfortable place to be in.

Smith, the Aussie, claimed the bronze medal in this event in Tokyo, but fell short of the medal in 2022 and 2023 and missed the final in Paris, placing 13th in the prelims, recording a time of 4:14.36. His time from this year’s Australian trials (4:12.81) is faster than his Paris time, which is a good sign, but it is slower than his performance at the 2024 trials and the 2023 trials, so its not a fully positive sign.

Clareburt is in a little bit of a different situation as his domestic competition is a lot smaller than that of Smith, so his path to Singapore is a little different. Clareburt earned his first World title in Doha, beating Litchfield to the gold, with a time of 4:09.72. It was his second medal in the event as he had previously claimed the bronze at the 2019 edition of the meet. The Kiwi safely navigated the prelims in Paris, tying for the last spot into the final with both Razzetti and Cedric Büssing at 4:11.52. He would wind up taking 6th in the final with a time of 4:10.44.

The 14th fastest performer of all time, Clareburt holds a PB and National record of 4:08.70 from the 2022 Commonwealth Games, but has struggled to get back under 4:10, having only done so once in Doha. This season, his best of 4:13.06 comes from the Australian Open in April, but he swept the event at all three stops of the Mare Nostrum, going 4:13.33 in Barcelona. If he was unrested for those meets, then he may have turned the corner and could compete for a spot in the final, but with 7/8 of the Olympic field returning as well as the return of some other swimmers, both he and Smith will be hard pressed to make the top 8.

“Feel This Moment”

Alberto RAZZETTI
Credit Andrea Masini/DBM

The other two finalists from Paris are Alberto Razzetti and Cedric Büssing, and like Clareburt, they will need to be at the top of their game to make the final in Singapore. The pair tied with Clareburt for 6th in the prelims at 4:11.52 but took very different paths in the final. Razzetti was 7th after the backstroke, with Büssing in 8th, but the Italian pulled himself into a 5th place finish, stopping the clock in 4:09.38, while the German, who recorded a new National record to make the final, slipped further back from the field and remained in 8th, stopping the clock in 4:17.16.

Razzetti, who took bronze in this event at the 2024 Short Course Worlds, did not swim the event at the Italian National Championships in April, but claimed 2nd in the event at Sette Colli, recording a time of 4:15.43, bettering his 4:15.89 from the Barcelona Stop in the Mare Nostrum tour.

Büssing has had a better season than Razzetti, winning the event at the German National Championships with a time of 4:13.56 and then claiming the victory at the LEN U23 meet with a time of 4:13.93.  A two-time D2 NCAA champion for the University of Indianapolis, Büssing sits 21st in the World this year, just one spot ahead of Zombori, who beat Razzetti at the Sette Colli.

With just 1.05 seconds separating 5th from 11th its going to be a battle for those spots in the final, with the 5th seed and 11th seed being big unknowns. Both Ilya Borodin and Wang Shun did not swim the event in Paris, with Borodin, as a Russian national being banned and Wang focusing on the 200 IM, where he claimed the bronze medal.

Borodin, competing under the Neutral Athletes B banner, enters the meet in strong form having claimed the 2024 Short Course World title ahead of the likes of Foster and Razzetti. In long course, he has not competed outside of his home nation since 2021, when he won gold at the European Championships, but he did record a PB of 4:08.05 at the 2022 Russian Cup and more recently won the event at 2025 Russian Swimming Championships, recording a mark of 4:11.39 and currently sits 10th in the World Rankings.

Wang, a four-time Olympian for China, has made recent inroads into the event in the later stages of his career. He finished 10th in the event at both the 2016 and 2021 Olympics, but did not contest the event in Paris, as he did not enter the event at the Chinese Nationals. He did enter the event this year, however, and claimed the title in 4:10.64, just .01 off his finish from Tokyo. He set the Chinese national record back in 2013 at 4:09.05, but at 31 is still looking for that first World Championships final in the event.

“Lucky Day”

Many of the swimmers above will need some luck if they hope to make the final in this event. It comes on the last day of a long meet and not only with more entrants (16 in Paris to 38 here) but also faster qualifying times (8th in Paris was 4:10.04, while 8th entering Singapore is 4:09.65),so it is likely going to be a much quicker prelims.

Marchand, while not as much of a favorite as McIntosh is in the women’s event, is clearly the cream of the crop, and if he holds up over the week, he could be threatening his World Record. After Marchand, it looks like there are two distinct groups: those who can reasonably be in the hunt for a medal and those looking to make the final.

Foster and Matsushita are the favorites to medal based not only on last year’s performance but also on their times this year. Their compatriots, Maurer and Nishikawa, don’t have the history in the event, but their performances this year put them into the conversation. Litchfield and Razzetti, based on their history in the event, put them up there, but their performances this year aren’t as telling, so it’s a bit of a conundrum of youth vs experience.

Foster’s history of medaling and his stronger performance this season give him the edge over Matsushita, but with just .04 separating them in Paris, expect it to be a close race. Behind them, Nishikawa, Borodin, Maurer, and Wang look to be good bets based on their performances this season. With just one spot open in our picks, it’s a battle among the experienced swimmers, but we think that it is Litchfield’s to lose, as he had the best form last season, and currently ranks ahead of his Commonwealth Games rivals, Smith and Clareburt.

SwimSwam’s Picks

Dark Horse: Tristan Jankovics (CAN) – Finishing 16th out of 16 at the Olympics may not be what Jankovics wants to be remembered for, but the 21-year-old Canadian has kept on going and has had a strong season, building upon the success of qualifying for his first Olympics. A Canadian record and 6th place at Short Course Worlds in December led the way to a new PB and runner-up finish at NCAAs, .98 back of Maurer. At Canadian Trials, he took the win in 4:13.15, faster than his 4:18.23 from Paris and currently ranks 18th in the world, but 11th among entrants. Seeded 16th with his 4:11.74 from the 2024 Canadian Trials, Jankovics is seeded below his world ranking and could play spoiler to anyone looking to coast their way in.