At first glance, it seems like a routine return to action. For the first time in six months since his participation in a short-course World Cup event in Singapore in November 2024, Lรฉon Marchand will compete on Thursday, May 1, at the Tyr Pro Series in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. In reality, things have changed significantly: after sweeping titles in collegiate championships, the Frenchman will compete in this American meet in a long-course pool with his new professional status, representing his new team, the Texas Longhorns, for the first time.
Most importantly, he will tackle two distances that he has not yet mastered but are expected to shape his training programs over the next 3 years in preparation for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. In addition to three of the four specialties that made him an Olympic champion (200 m breaststroke, 200 m individual medley and 400 m individual medley), the Toulouse native will start in the 400 m freestyle โ his first race on Thursday late afternoon โ and the 200 m freestyle in Fort Lauderdale.
“I started this freestyle challenge in January. It’s thrilling because I don’t know if it’s possible, because I’ve never really done freestyle before,” he told several media outlets, including Le Monde, during a video call on April 14. “I need to step out of my comfort zone and do things I’ve never done before to progress.”
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