Leon Marchand breaks his own 500y record at NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships 2024

Leon Marchand, 21, broke the NCAA record in 500m freestyle just a few weeks after setting one. The five-time world champion bagged a gold medal at the ongoing D1 Men's Swimming Championships that commenced on March 27 and is to conclude on March 29.

On Wednesday, Leon Marchand was at his best as he swam 4:02.31, shaving 3.87s off his previously established NCCA record at the Pac-12 Championships.

Weeks before, he registered a stunning 4:06.18s to claim the NCAA record from the previous record-holder Kieran Smith. The Florida swimmer had swam 4:06.32 at both the 2020 & 2021 SEC Championships. Moreover, Marchand also took down Luke Hobson’s 4:07.37 who was the 2023 NCAA Champion.

Before competing in the final, the ASU swimmer showed glimpses of his potential in the prelims. He swam the first 250m within 2:00.81. Marchand surpassed the old NCAA record pace of 2:01.08.

Moreover, besides Leon Marchand’s stunning first-place finish, the finale also saw Luke Hobson occupying the second place by swimming 4:06.93 and Jake Magahey taking the third spot with 4:07.12 timing.

Marchand swam 4:06.18s at the Pac-12 Championships, beating his competitors Zalan Sarkany and Rex Maurer who finished in the second and third places with a time of 4:09.18s and 4:12.58s, respectively.

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Leon Marchand on preparing himself mentally for the Paris Olympics 2024

Marchand at Fukuoka 2023 World Aquatics Championships: Swimming - Day 4

Leon Marchand will be one of the competitors to watch out for at the Paris Olympics 2024. He won three gold medals in 200m medley, 400m medley, and 200m butterfly events at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships.

Marchand must have the pressure to deliver an equally impressive swim at the upcoming Olympics in Paris.

Recently, in an interview with Olympics.com, he shared how he was mentally preparing himself for the big day. He said,

"The first thing I worked on with my mental coach [Thomas Sammut] was managing my stress and nervousness before competitions because when I was really nervous, I couldn't swim well at all. So I've been working on that, trying to be as relaxed as possible before and during competitions."

Furthermore, he reflected on his Olympic debut in 2020 where he finished sixth in the 400m men's medley.

He said,

"It made me aware of how I had to manage my energy throughout the week. Because at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, as it will be the case in Paris, you have to swim well on the first day, then manage to calm down, get back to sleep, and follow that up with new swimming races three or four days later."

Lastly, Marchand added that he was using breathing techniques and taking meditation sessions to calm himself.