Léon Marchand won the European title in the 400m freestyle in Saint-Denis, a result that broadens his potential event program for the Los Angeles Olympics, according to RMC Sport.
The French swimmer told RMC Sport he believes he has found his specialty, signaling a shift in his competitive focus. The victory came as a surprise, as Marchand was not expected to contend on this distance, Le Monde reported.
Marchand’s win adds to a growing list of possible events for the 2028 Games. Le Point noted the ambitious prospect of him targeting six individual titles in Los Angeles, a challenge that now appears more realistic after his performance in the 400m freestyle.
France’s overall haul at the European Championships was mixed, with only four gold medals, L’Équipe reported. Despite the modest total, the national technical director said he was fairly satisfied with the team’s overall level.
Beyond Marchand, the meet highlighted the emergence of Mary-Ambre Moluh and a return to form for French relay teams, according to franceinfo. Those positives helped offset the relatively low number of titles won by the host nation.
Marchand’s versatility has become a central storyline for French swimming. After his success in Saint-Denis, the question is no longer whether he can compete across multiple disciplines, but how many events he can realistically enter in Los Angeles.
The next step will be seeing how Marchand manages his workload across sprint, middle-distance, and medley events as the Olympic cycle progresses. His European 400m freestyle title suggests he is still expanding his range.
