Marchand breaks world record in 200m individual medley event

Léon Marchand broke the world record in the 200-meter individual medley on Wednesday at the world championships in Singapore, clocking 1 minute, 52.61 seconds to surpass the 1:54.00 set in 2011 by American Ryan Lochte.

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The Frenchman set the mark swimming in the semifinals and, in theory, could break it again in Thursday's finals.

Marchand won four Olympic gold medals a year ago in Paris, but he's swimming only the 200 and 400 medley - and relays - in Singapore. Planning the lighter schedule in what he calls a “transition year” keeps him fresh to chase the world marks.

Marchand didn’t just break the 14-year-old record, he shattered it.

"What's crazy is that it’s a whole second - and it's still hard to believe," he said. ":52 on the 200 meters - that’s insane."