Overview

• Léon Marchand posted a personal-best time of 3:48.87 in the 400m freestyle final, finishing third behind Kieran Smith and Ryan Erisman.
• This was his first 400m freestyle race since 2020, improving his previous best by nearly 16 seconds.
• The French swimmer, under coach Bob Bowman, is focusing on freestyle to expand his event repertoire ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
• Marchand’s return follows a six-month break due to a shoulder injury and rib fatigue fracture earlier this year.
• He is set to compete in additional events, including the 200m freestyle, 200m breaststroke, and individual medley races, later in the meet.