Michael Phelps reacts after Leon Marchand creates history with audacious double

On the evening of July 31, Leon Marchand etched his name into Olympic history by securing two gold medals within hours at the Paris La Defense Arena, setting new Olympic records in both events. His victories in the men’s 200m butterfly and the men’s 200m breaststroke brought his total to three golds in just four days at Paris 2024.
“The double was something I’d been thinking about for quite some time,” he told Olympics.com. “After the 200m breaststroke, I think I’ve finished the marathon. I’ve done six races in a day and a half, so that’s a lot, and I took advantage of it to enjoy myself at the end of the race and to celebrate because I won two gold medals in two hours, which is pretty incredible for me.”
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Marchand’s extraordinary day began with a thrilling finish in the 200m butterfly, where he narrowly clinched victory, sending the crowd into a frenzy. Despite the fatigue, he quickly transitioned to the victory ceremony and then back to the pool for his next race. The chants of “Leon, Leon” and the collective singing of “La Marseillaise” by thousands of fans created an electrifying atmosphere.
“Every time I took a breath, I [could] hear this huge noise. It’s kind of funny because I’m a really shy person at first, and I was really in the center of the attention in those two races. I was trying to get the energy from the whole crowd, they were amazing to me. They were really pushing me in every final. I think I did really well in those two finals, to be able to have my energy throughout the night, and I was able to push it as fast as possible,” Marchand added.
 
At 20:33, Marchand returned to compete in the 200m breaststroke. Once again, he delivered a stunning performance, breaking the Olympic record. This time, his celebration was more exuberant, reflecting the enormity of his accomplishment. “I knew it was possible for me to do, but just finish those races, maybe not win them. I had never known that [was possible]. That’s why I was swimming. I was trying to get that surprise for me,” Marchand said.
Michael Phelps, the 23-time Olympic gold medallist, who achieved a similar double win at Beijing 2008, expressed admiration for Marchand’s feat. “The cheer, everything there, the electricity — I can’t wait to talk to him to hear what it felt like,” Phelps said on NBC. “That’s probably the greatest double I’ve ever seen in the history of the sport. To be able to go 1:52 and 2:05 — the kid can obviously swim, we know that, and if we didn’t know it before, he’s gonna be here for a long time. He’s gonna make a lot of noise.”