Léon Marchand will make his debut at the European Swimming Championships on Monday, August 10, in the men's 4x200m freestyle relay final, French sports daily La Dépêche du Midi reported.
Marchand withdrew from the 400m individual medley, an event he normally dominates, because of a risk of relapse linked to his breaststroke technique following injuries that disrupted his preparation. He had been expected to swim the 400m medley final at 6:46 p.m. but will instead enter the pool for the first time that day in the relay final.
The relay final is scheduled for 7:33 p.m. and will be broadcast live and free on France 2. A win would give France its first medal of the competition.
How France qualified
Marchand sat out the morning heats, which were swum by Roman Fuchs, Pierre Largeron, Neo Dutriaux and rising swimmer Sauveur Cristofini. The French quartet qualified for the final with the seventh-fastest time, 7 minutes 9.33 seconds.
A rare relay appearance
Although Marchand has often spoken of his attachment to relay racing, he rarely swims for the team given his individual schedule. This time his program allows him to join the relay as its leader.
The four-time Olympic champion is placing growing importance on freestyle, which could take on a bigger role in his competitions, and wants to test himself at the highest level in the event. He also cited a collective goal of beginning to compete with the best ahead of the Los Angeles Olympics, which are two years away.
