2024 PARIS SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES
- Pool Swimming: July 27 – August 4, 2024
- Open Water Swimming: August 8 – 9, 2024
- La Défense Arena — Paris, France
- LCM (50 meters)
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MEN’S 400-METER INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY – FINALS
- World Record: 4:02.50 – Leon Marchand, FRA (2023)
- World Junior Record: 4:10.02 – Ilya Borodin, RUS (2021)
Olympic Record: 4:03.84 – Michael Phelps, USA (2008)- 2021 Winning Time: 4:09.42 – Chase Kalisz, USA
- 2021 Bronze Medal Time: 4:10.38
- Leon Marchand (France) – 4:02.95 OLYMPIC RECORD
- Tomoyuki Matsushita (Japan) – 4:08.62
- Carson Foster (USA) – 4:08.66
- Max Litchfield (Great Britain) – 4:08.85
- Alberto Razzetti (Italy) – 4:09.38
- Lewis Clareburt (New Zealand) – 4:10.44
- Daiya Seto (Japan) – 4:11.78
- Cedric Buessing (Germany) – 4:17.16
Leon Marchand swam to another record in the LCM men’s 400 IM, this time breaking the Olympic Record swimming to a 4:02.95. Marchand broke the previous record of a 4:03.84 set by Michael Phelps to win in 2008 in Beijing.
Phelps’ Olympic Record was the former World Record until Marchand broke that record swimming a 4:02.50 at the 2023 World Championships.
Split Comparison:
| Leon Marchand– 2024 Olympics | LEON MARCHAND, 2023 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS | ||
| Fly | 54.32 | 54.66 | 54.92 |
| Back | 1:02.44 | 1:01.98 | 1:01.57 |
| Breast | 1:07.48 | 1:07.64 | 1:10.56 |
| Free | 58.71 | 58.22 | 56.79 |
| Total | 4:02.95 | 4:02.50 | 4:03.84 |
Marchand was out faster today on the butterfly leg and was also slightly faster on the breaststroke leg, bodeing well for his potential in the 200 fly and 200 breaststroke later this week. He was about half a second slower on both the backstroke and freestyle legs today than he was a year ago.
Comparing Marchand to Phelps, Marchand is significantly faster on the breaststroke leg but Phelps holds a faster freestyle leg by over a second and a half.
The swim also marked Marchand’s first Olympic medal. He represented France in Tokyo and made the final of the 400 IM but finished 6th in the race with a 4:11.16.
It puts the standard he’s set in this event into perspective seeing him swim a 4:02.9, the second fastest performance EVER and almost a full second faster than Phelps ever was and then the initial reaction for many fans is “See I KNEW this pool was slow!”
Resets WR at 2025 Worlds when he swims in a real pool
Imagine having one of the greatest stars at his home olympics during his absolute prime, and you take away what would be a legendary performance and world record by cheaping out.
After this and the 100br I feel my bet on Marchand in the 200 br is looking pretty good rn
Against the backdrop of a Roman summer sunset, that would’ve been under 4:00
We should have all meets at either the Rome pool or the Beijing pool
His breaststroke went smoothly, bodes well for 200br!
And the men’s medley relay !
It’s becoming clear that the shallow(er) pool is indeed having some impact on times. While it “meets the standard” set by World Aquatics, 2.1m is not optimal. Around 3m is now common for big international meets.
It’s a level playing field of course, as they compete in the same pool. So medals and places won’t be affected. But don’t look for any crazy times in this meet.
I mean, turbulence absolutely affect different swimmers to different extents
Is it “level”, though? Seems the depth of the pool changes from the outside lanes inward
Hopefully this might be the impetus to amend the “standards”.
wish they used the wr splits when he was 0.04 under at 300