Marchand Madness: Leon Marchand Breaks Own NCAA Record with 1:46.35 200 Breast

by Spencer Penland 1

March 30th, 2024 College, News

2024 MEN’S NCAA SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

200 YARD BREASTSTROKE — FINAL

Top 8:

  1. Leon Marchand (Arizona State) — 1:46.35 *NCAA, Meet, U.S. Open, Pool Record*
  2. Matthew Fallon (Penn) — 1:48.48
  3. Carles Coll Marti (Virginia Tech) — 1:49.99
  4. Liam Bell (Cal) — 1:50.15
  5. David Schlicht (Arizona State) — 1:50.67
  6. Noah Nichols (Virginia) — 1:50.69
  7. Jassen Yep (Indiana) — 1:51.51
  8. Jack Kelly (Brown) — 1:53.27

He’s done it again. Arizona State junior Leon Marchand has once again broken an NCAA Record, this time one of his own. Marchand took control of the 200 breast final tonight, getting out to the early lead and expanding his lead through the race. He clocked a 1:46.35, taking a little over half a second off his NCAA Record of 1:46.91, which he swam to win the event at last year’s NCAAs.

Of course, the performance also marks a US Open Record, meet record, IUPUI Natatorium pool record, and an ASU program record. Marchand was aggressive with his race tonight, splitting 50.78 on the opening 100, which, for context, would have been 3rd in the 100 breast final last night.

Here is a split comparison between Marchand’s race tonight and his previous NCAA Record from last year’s meet:

Split Leon Marchand – 2024 NCAA Championships Leon Marchand – 2023 NCAA Championships
50 24.02 23.76
100 50.78 (26.76) 50.65 (26.89)
150 1:18.16 (27.38) 1:18.42 (27.77)
200 1:46.35 (28.19) 1:46.91 (28.49)
FINAL TIME 1:46.35 1:46.91

Marchand took a slightly more conservative approach tonight than he did last year, and it really seems to have paid off. He was out about a quarter of a second slower on the first 50 than last year, but he was then faster on each of the other 3 50s.

With the swim, Marchand now owns the 3 fastest performances of all-time in the event.

All-Time Top 5 Performances, Men’s SCY 200 Breast:

  1. 1:46.35, Leon Marchand (2024)
  2. 1:46.91, Leon Marchand (2023)
  3. 1:47.67, Leon Marchand (2023)
  4. 1:47.91, Will Licon (2017)
  5. 1:48.12, Will Licon (2018)

Of note, Penn junior Matt Fallon came in 2nd tonight with a new personal best of 1:48.48, which comes in as the 8th-fastest performance in history. Fallon is now the #3 performer of all-time in the 200 breast, behind only Marchand and American Record holder Will Licon (1:47.91).

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Johnson Swim school
7 months ago

Bob’s formula