2024 NOVA SPEEDO GRAND CHALLENGE
- May 24-26, 2024
- William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center Pool, Irvine, California
- Long Course Meters (50 meters)
- Results on Meet Mobile: “2024 CA NOVA-Speedo Grand Challenge”
- Psych Sheets
- Preview
- Day 1 Prelims Recap
- Live Stream
- Day 1 Finals Live Recap
Leon Marchand swam to his 4th fastest 200 IM in his career on night 1 of competition in Irvine swimming to a 1:55.74 in the event. Later in the session, he also swam a personal best time touching in a 59.06 in the 100 breaststroke.
Marchand’s Top 5 LCM 200 IM Times Ever
- 1:54.82 2023 Worlds- Finals
- 1:55.22 2022 Worlds- Finals
- 1:55.68 2023 Pro Swim-Westmont
- 1:55.74 2024 Grand Challenge
- 1:55.75 2022 Worlds- Semifinals
Today’s swim also makes him the 2nd fastest swimmer in the world in the event so far this season as only Wang Shun of China has been faster with a 1:54.62 from the 2023 Asian Games. Marchand has won the last two World titles in the event while Wang Shun is the defending Olympic Champion in the event.
2023-2024 LCM Men 200 IM
Wang
1:54.62
| 2 | Leon MARCHAND | FRA | 1:55.74 | 05/24 |
| 3 | Duncan SCOTT | GBR | 1:55.91 | 04/05 |
| 4 | Shaine CASAS | USA | 1:56.06 | 11/30 |
| 5 | Finlay Knox | CAN | 1:56.07 | 05/18 |
In addition to his 200 IM time, Marchand also swam to a personal best in the 100 breast as he touched in a 59.06, faster than his old best time of 1:02.02 from December 2020. He just missed the French National Record that stands at 58.64 set by Hugues Duboscq at the 2009 World Championships. Marchand also become the #8 swimmer in the world in the 100 breast so far this season.
Although Marchand has not announced whether or not he will compete the 200 fly/200 breast double on night 5 in Paris, there is a possibility he will compete in the 200 breast in Paris. He holds the French National Record in the LCM 200 breast after swimming a 2:06.59 at the 2023 French Nationals but did not swim the event at the 2023 Worlds.
France’s current problem is that there is no second fastest 100m freestyle swimmer in addition to Grousset. I don’t know if that will change this year, and we will know after the French trials
Peaty is at his weakest! Now is the time for Marchand to strike for 8 golds
Yeah not gonna happen
Which relay gold will Marchant win? France is not a paper favourite in any relay at the moment
They’re quite close in 4×2 and medley
I believe France’s fastest 200 free in the last 2 years is a 1:46.44. That time probably wouldn’t even make the relay in most of the top countries
Ndouye-Brouard/Tomac, Marchand, Grousset, and a 47-something Manaudou is easily a medal contention medley relay
The same goes for the mixed medley relay… to a lesser extent tho
Which 4 do you have in the mixed medley and what are their times?
We said that last year and they completely flopped
What’s his ‘weak’ stroke?
Crawl?
Backstroke
its 2024 just call it free
I haven’t called it free since Cavic swam butterfly for his free stroke in a free heat at Worlds ‘09
At the 2023 World Championships Leon split 59.00 in the 4 x 100 medley relay, so going 59.09 now seems to indicate his breaststroke is doing just great.
France really need Flo to be in 48.0 shape so he can close in a 47 low, they would be fav for bronze after China and USA.
Bodes well for him swimming the 200 breast in Paris if he can back up after a 1:55 200IM.
Does this make him more favoured than ZSC? He obviously always had the endurance given his 400IM background but now he has the speed too (not as fast as Qin obviously but definitely faster than ZSC)
Oh yeah
I think he will be fine with the 2fly and 2breast double ngl