PARIS, July 29 — French swimming sensation Leon Marchand won the 400 metre medley gold at the Paris Games on Sunday and also broke the Olympic record, previously set by US great Michael Phelps, the German news agency (dpa) reported.
Marchan clocked 4 minutes and 2.95 seconds and now holds both Olympic and world records (4:02.50) in the event.
Swimming icon Phelps had set the previous record of 4:03.84 at the 2008 Beijing games.
Japan's Tomoyuki Matsushita took silver (+5.67s) and bronze went to 2022 world champion Carson Foster of the US.
Marchand, 22, has the same coach in Bob Bowman as Phelps, who won an Olympic record 23 gold medals during his glittering career.
He will also aim to become the first ever Olympian to medal in a breaststroke and butterfly event at one Games. He will compete in the 200m races, with both finals set for Wednesday within less than two hours.
— Bernama
