Olympics-Marchand madness sweeps France as swimmer makes gold rush

Paris 2024 Olympics - Swimming - Men's 400m Individual Medley Final - Paris La Defense Arena, Nanterre, France - July 28, 2024. Fans of Leon Marchand of France are seen ahead of the race. /Clodagh Kilcoyne/File Photo

PARIS - At the Paris pool, rapturous crowds go mad each time he swims, chanting his name at every stroke. He is on the front pages of French newspapers. And across France, people stop in the streets to watch his races on their phone. Welcome to Marchand madness.

Leon Marchand, who has won three gold medals at the Games and is vying for two more, has become the French face of the 2024 Paris Olympics and the home crowd cannot get enough of him.

Across France, stadiums are packed and crowds are going wild, chanting, applauding, supporting the home team, whatever the sport. Support for the 22-year-old Marchand, however, is on another level.

French fans chant his name and roar his every stroke at the La Defense Arena pool, "LE-ON, LE-ON" echoing throughout his races as the spectators wave French flags.

Both Wednesday's victories were in Olympic record times as Marchand secured an unprecedented 200 meters butterfly and breaststroke double.

"So Leon Marchand was really great. The two races, the two finals, we were thrilled. It was magical," said Marjorie Bertrand, a teacher who was at the La Defense Arena on Wednesday evening.

"Especially, the comeback in the first final, it was really magical. We screamed, we were with family, it was great."

And it's not just at the pool.

The crowd watching the table tennis events broke into a spontaneous rendition of France's La Marseillaise national anthem when Marchand won his first gold on Wednesday.

"We were at the ping pong (event) and, in the ping pong arena, everyone was shouting 'Leon, Leon'. There was a huge fervor. It was a huge moment of pleasure," said Nicolas Durancon, a human resources worker from Lyon.

"He's a rocket. It's surely a lot of work, it's a lot of talent. It's great and I think it's great that all of France, all the French are behind him. We found it exceptional."

Eurosport TV showed a sabre fencing competition happening at the same time as Marchand's first final being slightly disrupted when French fans - some of whom had been watching Marchand's swim on their phone - went wild when he won.

Elsewhere across France, people not sitting at home in front of their televisions stopped in bars showing the races to catch a glimpse - something common for big soccer matches, but not so much for swimming.

"We're used to seeing Americans who are in this state of mind, like (U.S. swimming great Michael) Phelps, or like other athletes who are used to do it all back to back," said sports teacher Alexis Medina.

"This time, we have a Frenchman who brings all the light of the world on him. And we also feel that everyone loves him. It is truly extraordinary."