French swimmer Leon Marchand, five-time world champion, will dive into the pool at the Paris La Défense Arena on July 28 for the 400-metre medley that has been promised to him ever since he retained his world title last summer in Fukuoka, while smashing legend Michael Phelps’s last world record—Marchand’s record was 4.02.50 compared with Phelps’s 4.03.84 (in 2008). A feat that has already given him a new status, ahead of this quest for an incredible Olympic challenge that could see him become the first Frenchman to win four individual gold medals in a single edition of the Games (the 22-year-old is competing in the 400m freestyle, 200m butterfly, 200m breaststroke and 200m freestyle). Excerpts from an interview:
Q/ In two years, you have won five world titles and beaten Phelps’ world record. How has that changed your life?
A/ I don’t feel any different, I’ve just evolved. I’m a better version of myself, in the sense that I have more confidence in myself. When I make choices in my everyday life, I regret them a lot less than I used to. And that’s thanks to swimming. It doesn’t necessarily come from titles, but they validate what I do every day. This development has been a long road since I was a kid.
Q/ What do you mean by that?
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