French Olympic champion Leon Marchand is training at the U.S. He impressed Paris by winning gold in the swimming event

In a night when American swimmers were the focus of attention due to their efforts in out of an impressive U.S. medal count, it was French swimmer Leon Marchand who stole the spotlight in Paris by winning the first medal of gold.

28 July 2024, 07:25 7:25

Leon Marchand, of France is happy after winning his first gold medal at the 400-meter individual medley men in the final of 2024’s Paris Summer Olympics this Sunday, at Nanterre, France. Matthias Schrader/AP caption of the cover

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Matthias Schrader/AP

NANTERRE, France -Just moments after his country’s citizens were singing loudly the French national anthem in La Defense arena outside Paris, Leon Marchand broke away from the elite athletes in the 400-meter individual Medley for men final.

“It was an amazing experience I had,” Marchand said after the race during which he won his very first Olympic Gold medal. “I enjoyed every experience. “

Marchand the former part of Arizona State University and now lives in Austin, Texas, dominated the event which combined breast freestyle, back, and breast and Butterfly strokes.

There were occasions where Marchand seemed to be so far ahead that it appeared he was in a totally separate pool.

In a sport in which the winners aren’t always easy to predict, He took the wall down by a full five seconds ahead of Japan’s Tomoyuki Mattsushita who won silver.

This time, 4:02:95 was sufficient to set a all-time Olympic record, beating the previous record set by Michael Phelps in 2008 at the Beijing Games.

“I felt goose bumps as I was on the platform,”” Marchand said. “I was very content to be me and to be privileged to be French. “

The symbol that represents Frenchness which was played by Arizona State University

Marchand as well as his youthful appearance, has become an image of pride and national pride for the Paris Olympics. After winning on Sunday night French The president Emmanuel Macron came to greet him and congratulate him.

Bob Bowman coached Marchand at ASU before making the move to professional at the beginning of this year. He also was involved in the preparations to play in the Olympics.

“That was a great swimming performance,” He said, noting that Marchand is among the greatest swimmers to take part in this event. “He can perform faster that this. He’s got an incredible speed and has have the endurance. “

American sportsperson Carson Foster also turned in impressive performances in the final medal medley, claiming unintentionally a bronze medal.

“I don’t have had many great races in the major races, and tonight was great,” Foster said.

Gold Medalist Leon Marchand, center, from France is seen alongside silver medallist Tomoyuki Matsushita, left, from Japan and bronze-medallist Carson Foster, of the United States, following Sunday’s men’s individual medley final at the 400m. Matthias Schrader/AP hide caption

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Matthias Schrader/AP

But He was also awestruck by the performance and also by the enthusiastic French fans.

“It was an amazing experience,” Foster said of the crowd at the venue. “It was an exceptional experience for Leon to be given the chance to have it performed in his home homeland. Then I’m able to to tell my children about it some day. “

Another gold medal from swimmers from the U.S. swimmers

In a come from behind win for the first time in history U.S. swimmers, Nic Fink raced to tie the famous Briton Adam Peaty for a silver medal in the 100m male’s swimming final of the breaststroke.

Peaty was widely expected to take the win in the race.

Medalist Nicolo Martinenghi in the middle of Italy is pictured alongside the silver medalists Nic Fink, left from USA along with Adam Peaty of the United States as well as Adam Peaty from Britain on the podium following the closing in the breaststroke 100 meters event for male athletes on Sunday of 2024’s Summer Olympics. Bernat Armangue/AP conceal caption

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Bernat Armangue/AP

“There were not a lot of thoughts running through my head,” Fink said of his stunning gold-medal winning performance. “It was only a tiny amount of go-go-go. I knew it was going to be very close, and that everyone was one finger away. “

Fink and Peaty finished just a little behind Italian Nicolo Martinenghi who took home victory with the Gold medal. This marked the first-ever time that his country to win at the Games.

Reporting for NPR’s Becky Sullivan in Nanterre, France.