SwimSwam Pulse is a recurring feature tracking and analyzing the results of our periodic A3 Performance Polls. You can cast your vote in our newest poll on the SwimSwam homepage, about halfway down the page on the right side.
Our most recent poll asked SwimSwam readers which record will be the most difficult for Leon Marchand to take down as he descends on short course meter racing this fall:
Question: Which SCM world record will be the hardest for Leon Marchand to take down?
RESULTS
- 200 fly – 1:46.85 (Honda) – 55.7%
- 200 IM – 1:49.63 (Lochte) – 28.8%
- 200 breast – 2:00.16 (Prigoda) – 11.3%
- 400 IM – 3:54.81 (Seto) – 4.2%
After ravaging the record books in short course yards, and cracking Michael Phelps‘ longstanding world record in the 400 IM in long course meters, Leon Marchand is ready to see what he can do in short course meters.
In SCY, Marchand is the fastest swimmer of all-time in the 500 free, 200 breast, 200 IM and 400 IM, and in long course, along with his world record in the 400 IM, he ranks #2 all-time in the 200 breast, 200 fly and 200 IM after his unbelievable performance at the Paris Olympics this past summer.
Earlier this month we learned that Marchand was planning on competing at the three stops of the World Cup circuit this fall before taking on the Short Course World Championships for the first time in his career in December.
Although Marchand took an extended break from training after the Olympics, roughly six weeks, there’s hardly any debate that he’ll have a good chance at taking down multiple world records come December.
He’s been so dominant in SCY and LCM, it didn’t make sense to ask SwimSwam readers if he would take down a record in SCM. Instead, we asked which of the records in his four primary events will be the most difficult for him to crack.
| Event | SCM WR | Marchand LCM PB | Marchand SCM PB |
| 200 breast | 2:00.16 (2018) | 2:05.85 (2024) | 2:13.14 (2018) |
| 200 fly | 1:46.85 (2022) | 1:51.21 (2024) | 1:58.49 (2019) |
| 200 IM | 1:49.63 (2012) | 1:54.06 (2024) | 1:58.07 (2019) |
| 400 IM | 3:54.81 (2018) | 4:02.50 (2023) | 4:07.55 (2019) |
The record that has been lowered most recently, the 200 fly, came out on top with 55.7% of the votes. That’s Tomoru Honda‘s mark of 1:46.85, set in 2022, which is the fastest swim in history by well over a second.
The #2 swim ever is the 1:48.24 established by Daiya Seto in 2018, so Honda’s performance is truly an outlier. We also haven’t seen Marchand tackle the 200 fly in short course yards like we have in the IMs and 200 breast, given it wasn’t a part of his NCAA Championship program, so it’s no surprise that the 200 fly received the highest number of votes by a wide margin.
SwimSwam contributor Dominique Hérailh did an in-depth breakdown of converting Marchand’s performances at the Paris Olympics to short course meters, and the 200 fly proved to be the only one that didn’t look like a slam-dunk for him to break.
Earning the second-most votes in the poll was the 200 IM, which is Ryan Lochte‘s mark of 1:49.63 set back in 2012. No one else in history has been under 1:50, though in 2022, Matt Sates (1:50.15) and Shaine Casas (1:50.37) were sub-1:50.5, so Lochte’s time is far from unreachable.
In Paris, Marchand was six one-hundredths shy of breaking Lochte’s long course world record of 1:54.00 from 2011.
Readers clearly think the 200 breast and 400 IM records are the most likely to fall. In the 200 breast, Kirill Prigoda owns the all-time mark at 2:00.16—could Marchand be the first swimmer under 2:00?
In the 400 IM, Seto has dominated in short course meters, winning six straight SC world titles dating back to 2012. Marchand will have the chance to not only end Seto’s streak, but also his world record, which stands at 3:54.81 set in 2019.
Seto owns six of the seven fastest swims in history, having been 3:56.43 or quicker six times. Lochte is the only other swimmer listed in the top-seven performances, having been 3:55.50 en route to winning the last world title not claimed by Seto in 2010.
Below, vote in our new A3 Performance Poll, which asks: If you had to bet on one, which male swimmer are you picking to win both backstrokes at NCAAs in 2025:
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Honestly, after watching live Marchand’s 200fly/breast duo I think he’s capable of practically anything.
I just wanna see how close to 3:50 he can get in the SCM 400IM.
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I mean at this point, I think the better question is how much he focuses/tapers on the events listed. If he’s all in on those 4 then I’d love to meet the person who says he can’t break any of those records.
100 IM? Difficult but certainly not impossible.
200 Free? Have him lead off a relay and see what happens.
400 Free WR is honestly the most intriguing to me
I think 400 free is more likely than the 200.
I could agree that it’s easier but I would say that Marchand gets marginally more opportunities with the 200 because of the relay
The fact that he swam half his record breaking 500 free underwater suggests his 400 SCM could be special.
100 IM was possible before Dressel destroyed it. Now it’s borderline impossible.
Marchand is better than Dressel in the strokes and is capable of elite underwaters/sprinting (40. 100 free SCY). Why is it impossible?
Because he is not better than Dressel at sprint fly and free? And Dressel’s underwaters were pretty elite too for 50/100 races
No he is not better than Dressel in the strokes lmao. Dressel is significantly faster at 3/4 strokes in short course 50 and 100.
Because the Variation of physical health for World cup.
Marchand in Budapest i think 200 IM-100 br perhaps–200 fly-200 br-400 4N-perhaps 200 NL.
Relay, i hope but it is the Staff choice (young swimmers for the morning but they are in NCAA 😉😁🤔🇫🇷🤝🇺🇸 ?)
4*100 free Grousset-Fente-Manaudou-Marchand day 1
4*50 IM mixt Pigree-Marchand-Grousset-Gastaldello day 2
4 *200,Nl Grousset-Fuchs-Legoff-Marchand perhaps day 4
4*50 IM Tomac- Marchand Grousset-Manaudou Day 5
4 *100 IM N doye-Marchand- Grousset-Manaudou Day 6
4* 50 nl M and mixt perhaps but the France is soon the owner of WR.
See marhand’s record in NCAA in yard (relay too) 🤔
For Shanghai program of Marchand is 100 f 🤔-100 IM 🤔
(-200 Br- or/and400 IM)
100 nl for the 🇫🇷)
Grousset-Manaudou-Marchand-Metella-Fente 🇫🇷😁🤫 WR 3’02″75 🇮🇹👋
What did I just read
Nothing espescially , Wath else 🤔!
Previus time in Shanghai for Marchand
100 IM 51 ” (🇫🇷record 🤔)
100 free 46″50 – 47″
200 IM 1 ’53 ( 🇫🇷record)
200 br 2’03 ( 🇫🇷 record)
400 IM 4′ 05 (🇫🇷 record)
Oups *What else !
Also Dressel 100 IM, is that on the table?
I don’t think, 50″26 is too hard but why not
Sorry 50″26 is E R and no WR Dressel 49″28, therefore no, no , no and too no, perhaps french R
I’d be curious to see the French team go after the 4×50 medley/free and 4×100 medley relay records. Those 4 from these past Olympics with turns would be dangerous.
Additionally, would love to see how close he could get to the Agnel 200 free record.
Biedermann is the 200 record holder. Agnel has the 400 SCM mark
and Agnel WR 400 FREE SCM, it make too many,he isn’t a superman but 500 Y FREE IN 4’02 perhaps
Can you count 2 events as a ‘sweep’? I think you should count fastest lead offs of the 4×50 and 4×100 medley relays for the full sweep