When L’Equipe sat down with David Popovici for a feature, one of the things the French newspaper asked the newly crowned 200 freestyle Olympic champion about was Léon Marchand. When asked specifically about what he thought about Marchand attempting the 200 freestyle on the international scene, Popovici, a two-time Olympic medalist in Paris, responded, “I’m always up for more competition, and I think he’d be a great swimmer in the 200 freestyle. It’s impossible that he couldn’t, him being as good as he is on the other events.”
“So bring it on, Leon,” he continued, smiling. “I can’t wait…I think a good athlete should always be open for more and stronger opponents that come.”
Testing out the long-course freestyle events on the international stage is of interest to Marchand as well. In an interview with World Aquatics at the end of the Singapore World Cup, Marchand said that in 2025, he “will try to do some different events maybe—maybe not just IM. I would love to do some freestyle races, but I will have to train [for them] first.”
There are few better places to train for freestyle events than with Dean Boxall at St. Peters Western in Brisbane, Australia, exactly where Marchand is heading in 2025. Marchand set the swimming world abuzz earlier this month when he announced his plans to train with Boxall for two or three months beginning in January.
Marchand cited the chance “to breathe, to see something else” as two of the primary factors that went into the decision. “I spoke with my coach [Bob Bowman], he thought it was good to see another way of training. It’s the right time, I have four years to prepare for Los Angeles.”
Boxall put ten swimmers on Australia’s Paris Olympic roster and has coached some of the world’s current biggest stars in the mid-distance freestyle events, including Ariarne Titmus, Mollie O’Callaghan, and Elijah Winnington.
After his time in Australia, Marchand plans to head to Austin, Texas, and rejoin Bowman’s pro group. Depending on when he leaves Australia, Marchand should have a few weeks to train at Texas before likely heading to the French Championships, France’s qualifying meet for the 2025 World Championships.
Marchand has tested himself in the short-course yards freestyle events during his NCAA career. He set NCAA and U.S. Open records in the 500-yard freestyle, swimming a 4:02.31. When he swam it, he was four seconds faster than the next-fastest swimmer in history and is still two seconds faster than the American record Rex Maurer set in November (4:04.45) to take over as the second-fastest performer in history. He was the first man to break 1:29 in the 200-yard freestyle, briefly holding the NCAA and U.S. Open records at 1:28.97 until Luke Hobson took the records back the next day.
Both Maurer and Hobson—the new short-course meters 200 freestyle world record holder—train at Texas, so Marchand will still have mid-distance freestyle training partners once he returns from Down Under before potentially facing a crowded international 200 freestyle field. The men’s 200 freestyle Olympic final was one of the closest races at the Paris Games, with Popovici, the gold medallist, and Duncan Scott, the fourth-place finisher, separated by .15 seconds.
Marchand is a 1:45low/mid swimmer right now, I’m sure Bowman believes a 1:43 is possible and that this will be a priority this quad.
Bowman has also said on a post Olympics podcast that he believes we are “not that far off” a sub4min 400IM, and I’d think a 1:43 200free is part of the puzzle.
The 200 free could be THE final of the LA Games in 2028. Think about it. A final with Popovici, Marchand, Hobson, Pan Zhanle, Scott, Dean, Foster, Sunwoo Hwang, Richards… (ok 9 swimmers and 3 British)
I’m not sure if Dean or Scott or Richards would still be swimming by then, or at least at their best
Popovici should really be foccused on being a little more consisting in the 200 free because goin a 1.43.0 3.5 weeks before Paris olympics and then almost loosing the olympic title with a 1.44.7 is not good. If you’re capable of a 1.42.9 in 2022 as a 17 year old you should have won the olympic title with more the 0.02s to spare…
It’s a different dynamic with a loaded Olympic final in a shallow pool than a blowout in a deep pool when you’re out ahead of the wave the entire time.
He was tapered when he went 1:43.0 and the typer didn’t last for OGs
This may sound a bit crazy now but I do believe there’s 4 swimmers right now who can go under 1:44 individually. Popovici, Hobson, Pan, and Marchand. I think Scott and even the other Brit’s could do it but he’s been a bit of a wild card recently and idk what Richards will be like for this quad but he could also be capable of breaking it too. But if those 4 guys swim it in Singapore next year I think we could see something very special.
Hwang?
Märtens has already been faster than everyone besides Popovici.
I’m not convinced any of those guys besides Popovici will ever break 1:44 in the long course 200 free. If anyone does it, it should be Martens, who already has a 1:44.1 to his name.
On a side note I saw that l’Equipe has also a “Champion of Champions” for Male and Female athletes (and Para as well)
For male (A bit gallic-centric with Dupont playing the role of the baseball player of the AP ranking)
1. Léon MARCHAND (FRA), natation, 1118 points
2. Armand DUPLANTIS (SUE), athlétisme, 778 points
3. Tadej POGACAR (SLV), cyclisme, 759 points
4. Teddy RINER (FRA), judo, 229 points
5. Antoine DUPONT (FRA), rugby, 223 points
For female
1. Simone BILES (USA), gymnastique, 1100 points
2. Summer MCINTOSH (CAN), natation, 580 points
3. Katie LEDECKY (USA), natation, 552 points
4. Sydney MCLAUGHLIN (USA), athlétisme, 257 points
5. Yaroslava MAHUCHIKH (UKR), athlétisme, 222 points
we also cannot forget about Pan – he has the potential to also do something crazy in the 200 too – it was clear in Paris that he decided to put all his cards in the 100 – but he did split a sub 144 in the 800 free relay at doha. He has competed in longer distances all the way up to the 1500 as a junior – so he clearly he can train and has the endurance needed to do well in the 200.
This quad may hopefully establish multiple swimmers capable of going 143 and hopefully get the ball running on cracking 142.
I would also be interested in not just the 200 free but… Read more »
Agree with you. Let’s not forget that he’s ranked number 15 in the all-time rankings in the 200 free. His PB is 1:44.65 in May 2023 in China. Obviously he’s able to break Biedermann’s WR if he trains for it.
obviously ? No.
If anyone gets closer to sub 1:42 it will be Popovici but he needs to put together more than 6 months of focused training and less breaks.
Dean Boxall: “and I took that personally”
Ok for the 200 free. With 3 years in practice, he could swim 1:43 from now to LA 28. (His flat PB is 1:46.44 for now). But to me, he has to explore the 200 breast and not to give it up. I hope so. Seriously the guy swam the event for the first time at a high level during the Olympics. And… Gold medal, european and Olympic record. He has the potential to crush the WR and go under 2:05. And if he improves his freestyle, the sub 4:00 in the 400 IM will be possible. At the Olympics, he doesn’t break the WR in the IM events due to the freestyle part. In the 200 IM , he’s… Read more »
I think for a good 200, you need to have easy speed so you can turn the first 100 relatively fast and still have the energy for the second 100. I am not sure what Pan Zhanle’s training is like, but I feel like if he focuses on the 200, he has the ability to go under 1.42 as if he turns the first 100 at 50 that is still almost 4 seconds slower than his pb in the 100.
Hope this all makes sense.
I am sure Pan can do it if he wants to and trains more 200 pace. I imagine this guy spends most his time swimming and training. Does he study at any University?
frankly his personal best in french championships in 2023 says little of his potential!
He swams painlessly and quite slow in these competitions in general (far from his pb in “his” best events).
His relay time in Fukuoka in 4×200 (1.44.89) seems more effective, I think.
Nobody cares about the 200breast
Only you. I care.