• Léon Marchand sets a new world record of 1:52.69 in the 200m individual medley.
• He won the world title with a time of 1:53.68 the following day.
• Marchand has previously won four individual golds at the Paris Olympics.
• His record is more than 1.3 seconds faster than the previous one held by Ryan Lochte.
• This marks Marchand's third world title in the 200m medley event.

At the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, France’s Léon Marchand stunned spectators and competitors alike by decimating the 200 metres individual medley world record with a time of 1:52.69 during the semi-finals. This remarkable achievement saw him surpass Ryan Lochte's prior record of 1:54.00, which had stood since 2011, by nearly 1.5 seconds. In his distinctive style, Marchand celebrated the milestone with a punch of the water, expressing disbelief at his accomplishment, stating, “I can’t believe it right now,” as reported by Reuters and Le Monde.

The following day, Marchand not only maintained his momentum but also secured victory in the final of the 200m medley with a commendable time of 1:53.68. This win marks Marchand's sixth world title in a long-course pool and his third in this event, having previously triumphed in Budapest in 2022 and Fukuoka in 2023. He finished ahead of competitors Shaine Casas and Hubert Kos, with times of 1:54.30 and 1:55.35, respectively, according to Dawn and Le Monde.

After a brief hiatus from competitive swimming following his four golds at the Paris Olympics, Marchand returned to the pool in May and focused primarily on the medley events in Singapore. His preparation included an intensive training regime that saw him training for three months in Australia, which he reflects on as pivotal to his success this year. Marchand noted that he felt “really good” during his races, highlighting the importance of his training choices, according to Reuters, Le Monde, and Dawn.