At the end of 2020, León announced his move to the United States to study at Arizona State University. In 2021, with the intention of reaching his best version, Marchand contacted swimming coach Bob Bowman, formerly coach of the multiple champion Michael Phelps, through an email.

The decision to seek out a coach of Bob’s caliber was not made lightly. León understood that to achieve the level of excellence he aspired to, he needed guidance and the experience of one of the best in the world. Bowman agreed to be his coach and eventually became the head of the French Swimming Federation team. Thanks to Bob’s experience and years of training, the French swimmer was able to reap the rewards of his effort and dedication.

During the 2022 World Swimming Championships in Budapest, a younger León, at 20 years old, began to make his presence felt among the top names in the aquatic world. During that tournament, the Toulouse-born swimmer won gold in the 200m and 400m individual medleys and silver in the 200m butterfly, just a glimpse of what was to come.

By 2023, at the World Swimming Championships held in Fukuoka, the young Frenchman shone by winning three gold medals in the 200m butterfly, 200m individual medley, and 400m individual medley. In the latter event, León broke Phelps’ record from Beijing 2008.

What followed in León’s story was perfect. At his second Olympics, he would swim as a local in the Paris 2024 Olympics, aiming to end a 12-year medal drought for French swimming—and he certainly achieved it. Gold was just a matter of time; the first came in the 400m individual medley, followed by a virtually unprecedented performance, winning two more golds in just two hours in the 200m butterfly and 200m breaststroke. The haul didn’t end there, Marchand secured his fourth gold in Paris by winning the 200m individual medley at La Défense pool, with thousands of fans cheering his performance.

Paris not only turned golden for León but also saw him set Olympic records in the 200 meters butterfly with a time of 1:51.21 and in the 200 meters breaststroke with a time of 2:05.85. Additionally, he surpassed Michael Phelps’ time in the 400 meters individual medley, lowering the clock from 4:03.84 to 4:02.95.

León Marchand has dazzled in the Paris 2024 Olympic swimming events, not only establishing himself as one of the great French heroes of these Games but also renewing the tradition of success in French swimming. His performance has set new standards that will inspire future generations of swimmers.