Leon Marchand Pulls Out of US Open, Back Into Training After Illness

Triple World Champion and 400 IM World Record holder Leon Marchand is withdrawing from this weekend’s US Open Championships in Greensboro, North Carolina, his coach Bob Bowman confirmed to SwimSwam on Monday.

The move comes after an illness limited his competition at last weekend’s NC State Invitational.

“Just makes sense for now to get back into training and move forward from there,” Bowman said. “He’s doing well physically.”

A run at a record in the 500 yard free was undercut by Marchand’s absence on day one of the meet last week. He did swim prelims and finals of his best event, the 400 IM, finishing 3rd (behind teammates Hubert Kos and David Schlicht) in 3:38.61. He also swam the breaststroke leg of the 200 medley relay, splitting 23.51.

Marchand, a 21-year-old French native, is currently a junior at Arizona State. He won the 200 fly, 200 IM, and 400 IM at the 2023 World Championships, repeating as winner in both IM events.

He is also the defending NCAA Champion in the 200 yard breaststroke, 200 yard IM, and 400 yard IM.

The US Open will run from Wednesday, November 29 through Saturday, December 2 at the Greensboro Aquatic Center in North Carolina. Marchand was scheduled to swim the 200 IM, 400 IM, 100 breast, 200 breast, and 200 back. He was the top seed in both IMs and the 200 breaststroke.

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phelpsfan
1 year ago

Will this be streamed on the US Swimming YouTube channel?

ClubCoach
Reply to  phelpsfan
1 year ago

It’s on Peacock

phelpsfan
Reply to  ClubCoach
1 year ago

I live in Canada, so if that’s the only streaming option that’ll be a bit of a problem. Weird that USA Swimming doesn’t have any scheduled streams up yet, hopefully it doesn’t mean anything.

snailSpace
Reply to  phelpsfan
1 year ago

Even Trials ended up on Youtube, so I can’t imagine this not being streamed there.

YummyCake
1 year ago

Mono is a long lasting illness he could be out for weeks maybe months. I hope he gets better. This is not something him or Bob should take lightly.

James Beam
Reply to  YummyCake
1 year ago

has it been confirmed he has mono?

VFL
Reply to  YummyCake
1 year ago

Where does it say he has mono?

YummyCake
Reply to  VFL
1 year ago

CONFIRMED
Inside scoop from ASU pool deck

CasualSwimmer
Reply to  YummyCake
1 year ago

Bro stop getting inside the pool deck, it’s getting creepy

ralog
1 year ago

Olay.olay!

Raul Rodrigez
1 year ago

Love watching Leon swim, but let’s get back to the US open being the “U.S.” Open!

snailSpace
Reply to  Raul Rodrigez
1 year ago

Well, I mean, it is the U.S. Open.

Juan Cena
Reply to  Raul Rodrigez
1 year ago

It’s called an Open for a reason.

I can swim
1 year ago

Well, it is the US open.

mds
1 year ago

Are the other entered Sun Devils still swimming?

Diehard
1 year ago

Smart decision….better safe than sorry!

moonlight
1 year ago

Hope he is okay and this is the full story. Don’t want any weird misfortunes ahead of his home Olympics.

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Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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