Star Marchand savouring his anonymity in Asia

SEOUL - Leon Marchand, a quadruple Olympic gold medalist at Paris 2024 and the man dubbed the "next Michael Phelps," has told AFP he is enjoying the relative anonymity of swimming in Asia.

- AFP

Speaking in Incheon, South Korea, where the Frenchman competed in a World Cup meeting from Oct 24 to 26, he also admitted he was hoping to take his foot off the pedal this season after his extraordinary period in the spotlight.

Marchand, 22, became the poster boy of the Paris Olympics, winning golds in 200m butterfly, 200m breaststroke and a 200m-400m individual medley double. It made him the first male swimmer to achieve that combination at a single Games since American legend Phelps in 2008.

And when Marchand competed in the French capital, the rhythmic roar of "Leon, Leon" at Paris La Defense Arena became a sound that anyone who heard it will long remember.

"There was so much pressure around the Olympics that I think I really need to relax in the upcoming season," Marchand said.

"It does me good to do competitions with less at stake."