French swimmer Leon Marchand began his campaign at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore with a solid swim in the 200-meter individual medley heats on Wednesday (July30, 2025). The 23-year-old finished his race in 1 minute and 57.63 seconds, securing a comfortable spot in the semi-finals. Contrary to some early reports, Marchand did not break the world record in this event. The current world record of 1:54.00, set by American swimmer Ryan Lochte in 2011, still stands.
Marchand, who became a household name after his remarkable performances at the 2023 World Championships and the Paris Olympics, looked calm and confident in the pool. He did not push for a record-breaking time in the opening heats and said he preferred to save energy for the later rounds. "I will go all out for the record in the semis or the finals," he mentioned during a press interaction before the competition.
Known for his smart race strategies and composure under pressure, Marchand had taken a break from competitive swimming after the Paris Olympics. He had won four gold medals at those Games, making him one of France’s biggest sporting heroes. After that high, he stepped away from racing for a few months and only returned to regular training in May this year. His focus since returning has been on individual medley events, where his skills in all four strokes give him an edge.
"I knew I was close to my personal best because training has been strong and I felt good in the water," said Marchand. "But I wasn’t chasing a record today. The goal is to swim smart and stay fresh for the final."
While Marchand’s swim caught attention, the day belonged to several other rising stars as well.
In the men’s 800-meter freestyle final, Tunisia’s Ahmed Jaouadi delivered one of the standout performances of the day. The 20-year-old swimmer timed his race to perfection, making a move in the second half and touching the wall in 7 minutes and 36.88 seconds. His time was the third-fastest ever in this event. German swimmers Sven Schwarz and Lukas Maertens followed in second and third place with times of 7:39.96 and 7:40.19 respectively.
"I saw that the early pace was not too fast, so I decided to make my move and go for it," Jaouadi explained after the race. His decision worked well as he pulled ahead in the final laps and maintained a steady lead to the finish.
In the women’s 200-meter freestyle final, Australia’s Mollie O’Callaghan showed why she is one of the sport’s brightest young talents. She won gold with a strong performance, finishing in 1:53.48. China’s Li Bingjie came second in 1:54.52 and the United States’ Claire Weinstein claimed third in 1:54.67.
O’Callaghan spoke about the pressure of returning to competition after winning gold at the Paris Games. "It’s been hard for a lot of people to come back after the Olympics, but I am lucky to have a strong support team around me," she said. "They helped me through the mental and physical side of it."
There was also reason for celebration in the United States camp as Luca Urlando clinched gold in the men’s 200-meter butterfly. He clocked a personal best of 1:51.87 to win the biggest race of his career so far.
As the championship continues, swimming fans are now waiting to see if Marchand will go for the record in the 200-meter individual medley final. While no world records were broken on Wednesday, the level of competition and the quality of performances suggest that more thrilling moments are still to come.
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