The second night of the 2024 Men’s NCAA Championships kicked off with an explosive swimming start as ASU’s Leon Marchand demolished an NCAA record in the 500 freestyle event. Leon Marchand shattered the NCAA’s record, catapulting him into the limelight and drawing comparisons to US Olympic sensation Caeleb Dressel. 

As the anticipation builds for the upcoming Paris Olympics 2024, Marchand’s remarkable achievements and uncanny resemblance to Dressel’s prowess in the pool have sparked excitement among sports enthusiasts worldwide. Caeleb Dressel won five gold medals in a single Olympics, which is rare in swimming, and now Leon is also on the same path. This remarkable feat sets the stage for an exhilarating championship filled with record-breaking performances in the upcoming Olympics.

Marchand’s NCAA domination before Paris Olympics 2024

Recently, r/Swimming’s post on Reddit showed Leon Marchand shattered his own US Open and NCAA Records with this 500 freestyle performance. He finished the race with a buzzing speed of 4:02:31, an unmatchable victory. With this performance, he went ahead of his PAC-12s record by clocking 3.87 seconds less. During this performance, a fan commented with a question in mind: “How do we think his SCY success will translate to LCM/Olympics? He is so good off the walls…” 

Leon Marchand Drops Mind-Boggling 4:02.31 In The 500 Free To Obliterate His Own NCAA Record
byu/Gloomy_Permission190 inSwimming

Marchand showcased his exceptional speed during the race, hitting the 100 turn in an impressive 44.62 seconds and maintaining a split time of under 24 seconds for the first three 50-meter segments. By the halfway mark, he had split an astonishing 1:57.94, a feat never achieved before as he became the first swimmer to flip under the 2-minute barrier at that stage of the race.

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Marchand had trimmed 0.14 sec off Kieran Smith’s 2020 record with his 4:06.18 at Pac-12s. It served notice to both Luke Hobson, the reigning NCAA champion from Texas, and Gabriel Jett, Cal’s Pac-12 champ in the event with national title aspirations. This beast-level performance is nothing new for Marchand who said, “I wanted to break the record again. 4:02 is kind of crazy. I was able to do that but it was a really fun race. I think the pace I was on was kind of crazy, the first 200. I was just trying to hold on. That was a painful race, but it was fun.” Additionally, the meet record of 4:06.61, set by Matt Sates in 2022, was also surpassed by Marchand’s incredible swim. The 21-year-old just set up a record for which the fans were too happy! 

Fans react to Leon Marchand’s historic swim in 500 freestyle

Shocked at the marvellous performance, the Reddit community wasted no time expressing themselves and commenting about it. One user wrote, “How do we think his SCY success will translate to LCM/Olympics? He is so good off the walls…” Another fan pointed out his world record, “Considering he already has one LCM world record I think he’ll probably be okay lol”. One fan just wondered how the 5× World Champion surpassed the human limits and said, “I thought we were watching a 3:59 fior about half the race. Dude went out like he was swimming the 100 free and didn’t really die”. 

A fan couldn’t control himself, as he commented, “Goes out 44 for the 100, Comes back with a 1:30 200? What the f**k?Amazing”. 

Leon Marchand and Sun Devils Teammates Dominate Pac-12 Conference With Impressive Numbers

On his record-breaking performance, Leon Marchand exclaimed, “Tonight, I had no limits.” As the Paris Olympics draw nearer, Leon Marchand finds himself under increasing pressure to become the critical face of the event. Marchand’s versatility in swimming at different events, such as the 500 freestyle, showcases his determination to challenge himself and excel across various disciplines.