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Léon Marchand Withdraws From One Event at French Nationals but Has Already Qualified for European Championships
French swimmer Léon Marchand pulled out of the national championships in Saint-Etienne on June 30 after sharp pain struck his right adductor during a 200-meter breaststroke heat the previous day. The 24-year-old four-time Olympic gold medalist had already qualified for the European Championships.
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Léon Marchand withdrew from the French national swimming championships on June 30 after sustaining a leg muscle injury during competition the day before. The 24-year-old felt sharp pain in the adductor muscle of his right leg while swimming the 200-meter breaststroke heats on June 29 in Saint-Etienne.
Television footage showed him clutching his right thigh after easing off the pace late in the race.
He finished third in the heat with a time of 2 minutes 16.16 seconds. Marchand’s team said the decision followed consultation with technical and medical staff. "To avoid any aggravation and to protect his health, Leon has decided in consultation with his technical and medical staff not to continue competing," the statement read.
The injury occurred after Marchand recorded the fifth-fastest time in history in the 400-meter individual medley final on June 27. That performance had already secured his qualification for the European Championships scheduled for August 10-16 in Paris.
Le Monde reported that it remains unclear whether the muscle issue will affect his participation in those championships, which would mark his return to the French capital two years after the 2024 Olympics.
