Leon Marchand clinches 7th individual title after dominating 400m IM at NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships 2024

American swimmer Leon Marchand dominated the 400y IM on day 3 of the ongoing Men’s DI NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships. The Arizona State Sun Devils swimmer not only won the gold medal but also claimed his seventh individual title

On March 29, Friday, Leon Marchand swam an impressive 3:32.12s in the 400y IM, surpassing his competitors David Schlicht at 3:35.27s (second place) and Baylor Nelson at 3:37.46 (third place). Marchand’s previous record in the 400y IM was 3:28.82. He swam three seconds faster last year in comparison with his recent timing.

After the race, Marchand reflected on his performance and told Swimming World:

“I don’t think I did a really good job recovering yesterday. My legs were really tired – it makes sense – but it is tough to do the 500 free and 400 IM. But also, I was really focused on that relay. I think I lost my rhythm in the freestyle (of the IM) a little bit. But it was still fine, a 3:32 – I haven’t done that many (that fast).”

On March 27, the swimmer broke the NCAA record in the 500m freestyle. The Olympic favorite won the gold medal in the race by swimming in 4:02.31s, shaving off 3.87s of his previous NCAA record at the Pac-12 Championships.

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Leon Marchand on how he trains his mind before setting a record

Marchand at Fukuoka 2023 World Aquatics Championships: Swimming - Day 4

21-year-old Leon Marchand is a six-time world champion. In 2022, he won two gold medals in the 200m medley and 400m medley and also a silver medal in the 200m butterfly. A year later, Marchand bagged three gold medals in the 200m medley, 200m butterfly and 400m medley.

He is also a world record holder in the long-course 400m individual medley. At the 2023 World Aquatics Championships, Marchand broke legendary swimmer Michael Phelps’ record in the 400m IM of 4:03.84 at the 2008 Beijing Olympics

Marchand swam a record-beating 4:02.50s in Fukuoka, Japan, and surpassed what was Phelps’s last individual record.

Recently, during an interview with Olympics.com, the American swimmer shared how he thinks before attempting to break or create records. He said,

"I don't really tell myself anything before, I just want to swim as fast as I can. Sometimes I don't feel well, but I still manage well in the water. So I'm trying to lie to myself all the time: 'Yes, I'm in good shape, I can do it'."

Leon Marchand made his Olympic debut in the Summer 2020 in Tokyo, Japan. He competed in the 400m men's medley where he finished sixth.