Swimmer Léon Marchand is dazzling fans at the Paris Olympics : NPR

SCOTT DETROW, HOST:

Olympic host France is basking within the glory of internet hosting these video games and boasting one of many largest stars of those Olympics, the prince of Paris, King Leon, Aquaman. Sure, we’re speaking about 22-year-old swimming sensation Leon Marchand, who has ignited these video games and his nation. NPR’s Eleanor Beardsley stories from Paris.

(CHEERING)

ELEANOR BEARDSLEY, BYLINE: A Paris bar broadcasting the Olympics erupted with pleasure Friday night, when Leon Marchand took his fourth gold medal of the video games within the 200-meter medley.

UNIDENTIFIED PEOPLE: (Singing in non-English language).

BEARDSLEY: Marshawn is electrifying the nation, says Sylvie Bala, who compares him to French soccer icon Kylian Mbappe.

SYLVIE BALA: I really like him. He is so wonderful. He is the brand new Mbappe for us. He is a genius. I’m very proud that he is French and he is profitable, so he is making France shine everywhere in the world.

BEARDSLEY: Leon fever is sweeping France proper now.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: (Non-English language spoken).

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: (Non-English language spoken).

BEARDSLEY: Antoine Mersche and Leontin Corneau cannot get sufficient of him.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: Leon Marchand.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: Precisely. You should hear solely two phrases – Leon Marchand. This man, 48 hours in the past, he was no one. Then the Olympics occurred in his residence nation, and he has been the one individual to interrupt two information on the identical day.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: Two golden. Two gold medals.

BEARDSLEY: All of France is discovering its new hero, who is claimed to be a shy boy from a close-knit household. Right here is Marchand talking after profitable his first Olympic gold medal.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

LEON MARCHAND: Nicely, I had goosebumps on the rostrum. I felt actually proud to be myself and to be additionally French tonight. So it was an incredible time for me.

BEARDSLEY: Each Marchand’s dad and mom have been Olympic swimmers. He turned professional solely this spring as a result of he mentioned he cherished being a scholar on the swim staff at Arizona State College, the place he helped his faculty win its first NCAA title. Marchand started to draw world consideration final summer season, when he broke American swimming icon Michael Phelps’ file within the 400-meter medley. He’s skilled by Bob Bowman, who was additionally Phelps’s coach.

BOB BOWMAN: (Non-English language spoken).

BEARDSLEY: However Marchand isn’t just profitable, says Vincent Bonifas, who’s watching his race in a bar close to the Arc de Triomphe. He is pulverizing his competitors and propelling France to the highest stage of Olympic efficiency, together with huge boys the U.S. and China. Bonifas says the French aren’t used to that.

VINCENT BONIFAS: We have now a cultural factor for magnificent losers, and we love the fourth place, for instance. However with Leon Marchand, we’ve got a stupendous winner. And we’re not actually used to that, so it is actually new for us.

BEARDSLEY: He says these Olympics deliver again the spirit and reminiscences of 1998, when France received the World Cup, led by soccer legend Zinedine Zidane. Marchand can be bringing the French collectively after this summer season’s divisive and bruising parliamentary elections, says Marie Teuma.

MARIE TEUMA: All of the nation is – appears to be pleased and centered on one thing actually nice, and it is just like the return of the French glory. I am actually pleased with being French today for the reason that opening ceremony, and Leon Marchand is the cherry on the cake.

BEARDSLEY: At simply 22, Marchand has not even reached his full potential, say specialists. He’ll seemingly be France’s cherry on many extra Olympic muffins to come back. Eleanor Beardsley, NPR Information, Paris.

Copyright © 2024 NPR. All rights reserved. Go to our web site phrases of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for additional data.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This textual content will not be in its closing type and could also be up to date or revised sooner or later. Accuracy and availability could range. The authoritative file of NPR’s programming is the audio file.