If anyone was set to contest the man who has transformed into a half-dolphin, half-torpedo for France, it was Duncan Scott.
The modest 27-year-old has certainly not experienced the kind of recognition that Leon Marchand has rapidly gained. He hasn’t encountered a venue eager for his victory, nor a city collectively holding its breath for his race, bringing energy to a virtual stage as he swims. While Scott is valued in his hometown of Glasgow, it’s not at the same level.
He arrived here driven by motivation, propelled by the memory of having secured gold with the British 4×200 metre relay team just two days prior.
In doing so, he became the third most decorated British Olympian ever, with fellow British athlete Andy Murray in attendance for emotional backing as he faced off against Marchand in the Olympic 200m individual medley final.
The start of the 400m heats in the decathlon at the Stade de France was even postponed to allow Marchand to chase his fourth gold, and the stadium erupted with chants of ‘Allez les Bleus’ as the race was broadcast on the big screens.
Team GB ‘s Duncan Scott added another Olympic medal to his stunning collection after winning silver in the men’s 200m medley final
Scott picked up an eighth Olympic medal to become Scotland’s greatest-ever Olympian
Scott was relentless. He swam in a manner that many had never witnessed before. Recognized as an elite freestyle swimmer, he couldn’t wait for that segment of the race before confronting Marchand. ‘I had to position myself well at the 150 metres mark,’ he reflected post-race. ‘I couldn’t solely rely on my freestyle abilities. I had to push my limits.’
And he did challenge Marchand—closing the gap on the backstroke leg that he had lost during the butterfly segment. The red swim cap of Scott began to close in on the blue of Marchand. ‘I’d like to think I had a little duel with Leon for part of the race,’ Scott remarked.
However, the Marchand breaststroke soon turned the tide, accompanied by the familiar chant of ‘Allez’ each time his head broke the surface. Scott kept his pursuit at a speed that led him to finish with his second-fastest time ever at this distance. Yet Marchand claimed victory by a significant margin.
With President Emmanuel Macron in attendance, Marchand secured gold with a time of 1:54.06. This marked his third Olympic record to complement the two he had set in his finals just two hours prior—finishing one-tenth of a second quicker than Michael Phelps’ best. It’s now four individual golds in six days, matching Phelps’ achievements at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Only Phelps, who won five individual titles in Beijing in 2008, has surpassed this feat.
When Marchand spoke afterward, a youthful excitement shone through as he recounted receiving messages from Phelps the night before, in the American English he has acquired during his time at Arizona State University. He discussed his focus on relaxation techniques to manage the spotlight at these Games. ‘I’ve been practicing for it, and I think I did really well, but I’m still not accustomed to that,’ he admitted.
Scott offered his post-race thoughts quickly and skipped the press conference. His silver medal propels him ahead of Sir Chris Hoy to become Britain’s joint second most decorated Olympian, alongside Sir Bradley Wiggins. With only Sir Jason Kenny ahead, it’s safe to say that Scott is arguably the most underrated British Olympian ever. Yet, with all three of his individual medals being silver, Marchand will continually pose a challenge for him.
Scott wasn’t the only British swimmer facing a French onslaught. Ben Proud, competing in the 50 metre freestyle, confronted French swimmer Flourent Manaudou, who had been energizing the crowd moments before the race.
France’s Leon Marchand won his fourth consecutive gold medal at the Games
For Proud, a thoughtful, intense, and humble member of the British squad, the Olympic Games have felt like a daunting climb as he has pursued this pinnacle for years. After finishing fourth in Rio eight years ago and fifth in Tokyo, the search for an Olympic medal became so distressing that he began to lose his passion for swimming and considered quitting.
While it wasn’t the medal he had hoped for, his persistence and determination paid off as he narrowly surpassed Manaudou to secure silver in the race that determines the fastest swimmer in the world. His time of 21.30 was just five hundredths of a second slower than Australia’s Cameron McEvoy.
Marchand still has the chance to add two more medals to his Paris collection, as he is set to compete in the final of the 4x100m mixed medley relay this evening and, if the French team qualifies, in the 4x100m medley on Sunday. The possibility of Adam Peaty participating in the British mixed 4×100 team remains, despite him missing the heats that led to the British team qualifying fifth fastest for the final.
But for this evening, the focus remained solely on Marchand and another spectacular display. ‘His breaststroke is world-class,’ Scott observed afterwards. ‘His turns are extraordinary. His underwater skills are incredible.’ As the dust settles, Scott will have to figure out how to contend with such exceptional talent.
