Once is not customary, Léon Marchand saved himself… Well, almost. Friday evening, in the IU Natatorium pool, the record machine from Arizona State University, 21, was content to win “her” 400 yards medley in 3′32′’12, far from her 3 ′28′’82 from last year. His seventh NCAA title in three appearances in the finals.
It must be said that the Frenchman, who still posted his best time of the season, has a huge margin over the distance and above all that he had another priority. That of helping his comrades in the 4×100 yards medley relay to close the third day on the highest step of the podium to allow the ASU Sun Devils to take off in the general classification in front of Berkeley before the final straight.
Mission largely accomplished with a victory and a supersonic time in breaststroke. Quite simply the fastest relay ever swum (in 48”73), in a wild atmosphere, which allowed ASU to set a new benchmark – and above all its first national title – over the distance.
“It’s true that I was more focused on the relay than on the 400 yards medley,” smiles the Toulouse native in his gray t-shirt crossed out with Fear The Fork (in reference to the fear that the trident which must inspire symbolizes his university). I had never experienced that. We often came second and had a great opportunity. The weather was good, but that didn’t really matter. We just wanted to win, so it’s cool. »
“Really a pleasure to share”
In the last meters of his 400, the Habs were already thinking of helping their teammates two hours later. And to play the snoop a little to see how everyone in the meantime contributed their contribution to the collective work. “In between, there were other races with the desire to watch what’s happening and it’s quite stressful with this ranking which changes all the time,” breathes the five-time world champion. I had to do 20/25 minutes of recovery in the water then I tried to encourage my friends without giving too much. »
On Thursday, the blue-white-red prodigy shattered his NCAA record in the NL 500 yards by nearly four seconds. Friday, he put his Team on the path to success. Two very different sensations and two different flavors. “There, it’s really a pleasure that we share. There were four of us (with Kos, Kharun and Kulow), we did it together, he slips mischievously. We work together every day, they’re my best friends, so it’s been great. »
Before diving into the Paris Games, Marchand takes all he can from his happiness as an adopted American. “What I’m thinking about at the moment is mainly just creating memories with my friends,” he explains. There are 18 of us here on the team and frankly, I know that in ten years we will still be in contact and we will remember these past moments. These are truly amazing memories from 3 years ago, whether we win or not. It’s cool. »
However, Bob Bowman’s protégé rarely comes to lose. On Saturday, he will be keen to tilt the field definitively towards his team to bring back to Tempe, in the suburbs of Phoenix, the first trophy in the history of ASU in a competition which has existed since 1937.
Second in 2023 behind the Berkeley Golden Bears, Bowman’s men are 56.5 pts ahead of their best enemies (343 against 286.5). An ideal position that King Léon should still be in for 200 yards breaststroke before throwing his last strength of the week into a 4 x 100 yards NL relay…
