Marchand Faces Challenges as He Targets Second Gold at Swimming World Championships

Leon Marchand acknowledged he was “struggling” on the final day of the World Championships on Sunday after qualifying for the 400m individual medley final with an uncharacteristically slow heat swim.

Marchand’s Performance and Concerns

The 23-year-old French superstar, who broke Michael Phelps’s 400m individual medley world record at the 2021 World Championships in Japan, expressed concern over his performance, which he described as worrying ahead of the final that evening.

“I would have preferred to set the best time this morning and it didn’t go as planned; I was struggling a bit,” said Marchand.

“Strange, because I slept well, I felt fine this morning, but that’s swimming — sometimes you dive in and you don’t feel good.”

Japan’s Tomoyuki Matsushita topped the heats with a time of 4:10.39, almost three seconds faster than Marchand.

Adjusted Competition Schedule

Marchand is swimming a lighter programme than usual in Singapore, competing only in individual medley and relay events. His heat on Sunday morning was only his fifth swim of the championships.

“It worries me, but I have a lane tonight so in the end, it’s OK,” Marchand added.

Women’s 400m Individual Medley Heats: McIntosh Leads

Canada’s Summer McIntosh was the fastest qualifier in the women’s 400m individual medley heats, recovering swiftly after her intense battle with American legend Katie Ledecky in the 800m freestyle final the previous night.

McIntosh’s aim for the 400m IM is clear: “I’m really just focusing on the 400 IM and putting a good time down and touching the wall first,” she said.

Reflecting on the 800m freestyle, she added, “There’s more reflection that I can do from what happened last night, but I think that’s reflection that will be happening at the start of next season.”

Young Chinese Prodigy Yu Zidi Impresses

Twelve-year-old Chinese swimmer Yu Zidi also qualified for the final with the third-fastest time of 4:36.49, less than a second behind McIntosh. Yu won her heat and will be appearing in her third individual final in Singapore.

Yu made history as the youngest swimmer ever to win a World Championships medal, having contributed to China’s bronze in the relay.

Summary Table: Finalists in Women’s 400m Individual Medley

Despite the struggles, Marchand remains a favourite for the gold in Sunday’s final, while McIntosh and Yu continue to demonstrate exceptional promise on the world stage.