Months After Breaking Michael Phelps’ Last Standing Record, Swimming Star Enters Special Award Nomination

Dec 21, 2023 | 5:40 AM EST

Months After Breaking Michael Phelps’ Last Standing Record, Swimming Star Enters Special Award Nomination

Dec 21, 2023 | 5:40 AM EST

Michael Phelps is a name associated with dominance in the sporting world. His unwavering dedication ensured he would become the etched Olympian in the annals of swimming. Comparatively, Phelps features 23 golds, which is double what his competitors own.

However, six years later, the French swimming prodigy not only took his place but also shattered the records Phelps made throughout his swimming career. Consequently, Leon Marchand is again under the spotlight as he recently got nominated for the French Sportsman of the Year 2023.

Watch What’s Trending Now!

Sportsman of the Year award

Recently, lafrancequigagne initiated the nomination process for the French Sportsmen of the Year award 2023. While announcing the nominations for the award on the Instagram account, they penned, “Link in bio. From December 20 to 30, choose the French sportsmen of the year 2023 🇫🇷” (translation of French).

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by LA FRANCE QUI GAGNE (@lafrancequigagne)

Expand Post

Various entities are nominated for the prestigious award, including some outstanding performers in multiple sports. In addition, nominees include nine incredible para athletes from Judo, skiing, triathlon, and much more. Interestingly, Leon Marchand is also among the nominees for this award.

Shattering 21-year-old record of Michael Phelps

Back in 2022, Marchand achieved something unbelievable. Although spectators were quite sure that Marchand had the calibre to conquer Phelps’ record, little did they know it would happen in a couple of seconds. The air was electrified when the 21-year-old swimmer broke previous records by just 1.34 seconds margin.

Michael Phelps set the record of 4:03:84 at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. While his record was believed to be unassailable, Marchand proved everyone wrong in 2022. He finally made it to World Championship gold in Budapest while setting a new record of 4:04:28. Eventually, Marchand led the new generation of swimmers and set a great example before them.

Watch this story: Michael Phelps, Caeleb Dressel Vertical Leap Compared to Other Sports Stars

Written by

Yashika Dutta

2,141 Articles

Yashika Dutta is a Basketball Writer at EssentiallySports, covering the NCAA, WNBA, and Olympics. A member of the EssentiallySports Journalistic Excellence Program, she specializes in the high-stakes energy of college basketball, with features on the Big Ten Conference and the chaos of March Madness that bring fans right to the hardwood. Her coverage has even caught the attention of UConn coaches and Olympian Rori Dunk, earning her recognition for both accuracy and insight. A former state-level basketball player, Yashika channels her on-court experience into reporting that captures the game’s intensity beyond the box score. With a player’s sense of timing and a journalist’s instinct for storytelling, she shines a light on rising stars like Caitlin Clark and JuJu Watkins, while unpacking the pressures and triumphs that shape college hoops. Whether charting a Big Ten rivalry or chronicling the ethos of March Madness, Yashika connects fans to the heart of the game with energy and authenticity.

Know more

Edited by

Suman Varandani