Leon Marchand Hails ‘Awesome’ Yumeki Koijma, Tomoyuki Matsushita

At Swim Clinic in Japan, Leon Marchand Hails ‘Awesome’ Yumeki Koijma, Tomoyuki Matsushita

Japan’s prime medley swimmers are laborious at work this week, and Leon Marchand has been paying consideration.

The French reigning Olympic double medley champion hailed the “amazing progression” of Yumeki Kojima and Tomoyuki Matsushita as he eyes them as potential rivals on the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.

Marchand this week is again in Japan for a particular swim clinic hosted by the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan. It’s an opportunity for him to revisit the positioning of his Olympic debut in Tokyo in 2021, which set the stage for him to win 4 gold medals three years later in Paris.

The path to repeating that efficiency will put him in touch with Kojima and Matsushita. Through two days of the Asian Games, Matsushita gained gold within the 200 particular person medley in 1:55.30, .06 up on Kojima’s world junior report. Kojima improved his WJR within the 400 IM to 4:07.02, setting the Asian Games mark. Matsushita was second in 4:09.64.

Matsushita is simply 21. He took silver within the 400 IM on the Paris Olympics and the 2025 World Championships, each to Marchand.

“They are awesome,” Marchand told Olympics.com of Matsushita and Kojima. “First, as humans, because I spoke to them before. They’re really simple people, really nice, and they really enjoy the sport.”

Kojima is already pushing his supremacy at 17 years outdated. He provides Japan a potent 1-2 punch in two occasions wherein they’ve historically excelled.

Matsushita and Marchand are more likely to tangle throughout the short-course season this fall.

“I’m really excited to race him in the next month and in the next couple of years,” Marchand stated. “I think he will be one of my main rivals, so I’m really excited for the future, and I wish him the best.”

Marchand additionally has his eyes on Shin Ohashi, who’s the world junior report holder in each breaststroke occasions. Marchand’s 4 golds in Paris included the 200 fly and 200 breaststroke. Ohashi, who tied for the gold within the 100 breast on the Asian Games in 58.64, is a rising star in that self-discipline.

“I still always look at what they do during the season because I need to keep informed of what’s happening in the swimming world,” he stated. “They’ve been doing so well in the past few years. So it’s scary, but also exciting for me.”

Read the full interview here.