This time the Pac-12 championship has fairly cemented French swimmer Leon Marchand’s reign in the pools. In that NCAA swimming contest, the 21-year-old swimmer claimed three individual golds and a record-breaking 500-yard free swimming spree. Allegedly, that 500 free event was not Leon Marchand’s forte before. But that factor could not hinder him in making the record that day.

Meanwhile, in the year of the Paris Olympics 2024, the Sun Devils’ swimmer has his sights set on reaching his pinnacle. But away from the elite competitions, Leon Marchand has been trying his swimming prowess in the college championships only. But why? Just before heading to Indianapolis, the Toulouse native has admitted a few reasons for that. But simultaneously, he has clarified a concerted approach as well, which might help him in the ongoing development. 

Leon Marchand backs his support on foreign soil 

After finishing a successful stint in the Pac-12 tournament, Leon Marchand is all up to participate in the upcoming NCAA Championships final in Indianapolis. Again, his 200-yard medley event will attract a lot of gazes. The judicious swimmer knows that beforehand. So, eventually before getting into the Pac-12 battles, he relished his mindset on IG in January. The caption read, “J-200”. But ultimately, he aims to break the existing record in the event. “The 200 medley. It’s at 1 min 54 sec 00, I’m eight tenths off and I think I have more power than before, I’m better in the crawl, I’m better in the turns. So I think the 200 medley is the record I feel closest to,” Leon has claimed recently. As of now, he is lurking at 1:54.82 and to shave that extra second off, he is counting on his NCAA experience and the tutelage of coach Bob Bowman.

“Having a rhythm of two weeks of training and one week of competition really allows me to get feedback from my coaches and improve. These are small goals that allow me to progress more quickly in the season. So I think it’s pretty good to prepare for a big competition like the Olympics,” Leon said to the Olympics. com earlier. His ASU coach Bob Bowman has supported that viewpoint. 

Bob Bowman counts Leon’s Paris Olympics dream highly

Since he joined the ASU camp after the Tokyo Olympics, Leon Marchand has been improving himself, thinking about the Paris Olympics goal. He has received many milestones under the tutelage of Bob Bowman till date. But one record that remained closer to the Frenchman was the solidifying his identity in the 400m IM record book, replacing Michael Phelps’s name in Fukuoka last year.

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

Despite decimating his former student’s record, Bob Bowman went on full praise for his French protégé following that. “I think Léon is quite capable of handling the pressure and performing well,” the learned coach claimed afterward. That motivated Leon Marchand to go harder.  That champion mindset resonated once again in the conversation with Olympics.com. “I want to win…in which swim, in which event, I don’t care.,” said the swimmer, eyeing the Paris Olympics podium.

Also read: “Work Should Be Celebrated as Well”: Michael Phelps’ Coach Bowman Honors His Legacy at Olympics