SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE – JULY 30: Leon Marchand of Team France reacts after the Men’s 200m Individual Medley heats on day 20 of the Singapore 2025 World Aquatics Championships at World Aquatics Championships Arena on July 30, 2025 in Singapore. (Photo by Andy Cheung/Getty Images)
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Why wait for the finals when you can bring the best of the action during the semis? On the fourth night of the World Aquatics championships, Leon Marchand qualified for the 200 IM finals in 1:52.69. Taking down a 14-year-old world record set by America’s Ryan Lochte.
Marchand has now ticked off one of the biggest goals from his list, even exceeding his expectations. The record of 1:54.00 set at the 2011 Worlds, after a duel between Michael Phelps and Lochte, was the first long-course world record since the banning of full-body polyurethane suits. Since then, swimmers have tried to crack 1:53 for more than a decade. Now, Marchand’s performance has registered the 200 IM times in an elite category. The 23-year-old Frenchman swam under the world record pace throughout the race in Singapore and knocked off the record by 1.31 seconds to achieve 1:52.
“I’m going to try to sleep well tonight,” an ecstatic Marchand said during the post-race interview. “It’s going to be tough tomorrow, but the final is going to be cool. I’m going to try to understand what I’ve just done. It may take a few months, and after I’ll look at what’s next.”
At the Paris Olympics, Marchand claimed the gold in the 200 IM, “falling six-hundredths short” of lowering the record. The swimmer then decided to take a brief hiatus from the pool and returned to participate in the fall at World Cup meets, where he ultimately broke Lochte’s 12-year-old short-course world record in the 200 IM in 1:48.88. He then suffered multiple injuries and returned to compete in May 2025. Marchand is now going for his third 200 IM individual world title in Singapore.
Notably, Marchand had his eyes set on taking down the 200 IM from the start of the season. He changed his schedule, dropping the 200 breaststroke and 200 butterfly events, and focused solely on medley events at the 2025 Worlds. These choices ultimately turned out to be “right” for the four-time Olympic gold medalist, as he not only managed to break one of the last-standing historic American records but also obliterate it in the process.
Lochte And Marchand’s Splits:
- Marchand (2025): 24.10, 52.50 (28.40), 1:24.63 (32.13), 1:52.69 (28.06)
- Lochte (2011): 24.89, 53.48 (28.59), 1:26.51 (33.03), 1:54.00 (27.49)
Marchand also faced tough competition from both sides. America’s Shaine Casas, with the fastest start in 23.88, managed to touch the wall with a new personal best time of 1:55.13. He is now the third-fastest American in the event, trailing behind Lochte and Phelps. The 200 IM silver Olympic medalist, Duncan Scott, representing Great Britain, was a few seconds short of his best time and claimed the bronze in 1:55.51.
Now, Leon Marchand will enter as the clear favourite for the 200 IM finals tomorrow. The swimmer is also expected to bring his best on the last day of the meet and push his 400 IM world record set in Fukuoka in 2023.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/parasjan/2025/07/30/leon-marchand-takes-down-14-year-old-record-at-the-200-im-semi-finals/