MARCHAND MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

French star breaks 200m IM world record; Smith beats own women's 100m back mark

- David Lee

His coach Bob Bowman had dissuaded him from competing in the 200m breaststroke and 200m butterfly on the same day at Paris 2024, but Leon Marchand won both events en route to four golds, all in Olympic record times.

Nothing can stop the French star once he sets his mind on achieving something in the pool, and on Nov 1, the 3,000-strong crowd at the OCBC Aquatic Centre witnessed more feats from him during the Singapore leg of the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup.

He became the first man to go under 1min 49sec in the men's 200m individual medley (short course), winning the final in a world-record 1:48.88.

Not only did he leave his closest rivals - Briton Duncan Scott (1:51.14) and Italian Alberto Razzetti (1:52.99) - behind, but the 22-year-old also eclipsed American Ryan Lochte's 2012 mark of 1:49.63.

Marchand told The Straits Times: "I felt really good still on the freestyle (last leg). I could kick still, which is kind of rare in the IM races. So I was like all right, I think I can do it (break the world record).