Lochte’s record was shattered

The French champion Léon Marchand broke a 12-year-old world record in the 200 meters short course medley by Ryan Lochte (1’49”63). The four-time Olympic champion swam 1’48”88 in the World Cup stage in Singapore. Léon Marchand in Shanghai had come close to Lochte’s world record by setting a time of 1’50”30, a world record for Europe. Fifteen days later, in Singapore, the four-time Olympic champion he pulverized time of the American by almost a second, in 1’48”88breaking a record that dates back to 2012.

A few minutes after his race, the Frenchman, who had already set the European record for the 100 medley the day before, expressed his joy: “It was really very emotional for me. I wanted to do something no one had ever done before (be the first to dip under 1’49”). I pushed hard and the crowd went crazy and carried me. It reminded me of Paris and the Olympic Games. A thousand thanks”.

Three months before the dream Olympics, the champion from Toulouse will close his Asian tour on Saturday with the 400 medley (distance for which he is the world record holder in the long course), with the ambition of achieving a third hat-trick in the mixed, after those collected in Shanghai and Incheon. His season will then continue in Budapest, for the short course World Championships from 10 to 15 December.