Leon Marchand breaks 200m particular person medley world document at swim worlds

SINGAPORE — Léon Marchand broke the world document within the 200-meter particular person medley on Wednesday on the world championships in Singapore, clocking 1 minute, 52.61 seconds to surpass the 1:54.00 set in 2011 by American Ryan Lochte.

He set the mark swimming within the semifinals and, in concept, may break it once more in Thursday’s finals.

Marchand received 4 Olympic gold medals a yr in the past in Paris, however he is swimming solely the 200 and 400 medley — and relays — in Singapore. Planning the lighter schedule in what he calls a “transition year” retains him contemporary to chase the world marks.

Marchand will swim the 400 IM on Sunday, the ultimate day of the world championships. He holds that document of 4:02.50 set within the 2023 worlds in Fukuoka, Japan.

“It knew I was going to get close because I felt good yesterday (in qualifying),” Marchand mentioned.

Asked about swimming a lighter schedule he replied in understatement: “It was probably the right decision.”

Marchand was about 1.8 seconds beneath the world document after 150 meters and powered dwelling with the ultimate freestyle leg.

Though this race didn’t yield a world title — that can come on Thursday within the closing — it did win Marchand a test for $30,000.