Leon Marchand won the gold medal in the men's 400m individual medley at the Paris Olympics, setting a new Olympic record with a time of 4:02.95, nearly six seconds ahead of Japan's Tomoyuki Matsushita. Marchand's victory marks France's first Olympic swimming gold since 2012 and solidifies his emerging status as a star, drawing comparisons to Michael Phelps, who was coached by Marchand's mentor Bob Bowman. Despite being just shy of his own world record of 4:02.50, Marchand's performance delighted the home crowd at La Defense Arena. American Carson Foster secured the bronze medal in the event, while Great Britain's Max Litchfield set a new British record despite finishing fourth. Additionally, Adam Peaty was unable to secure his third consecutive gold in the 100m breaststroke, earning a silver behind Italy’s Nicolo Martinenghi. Marchand's triumph is expected to pave the way for further successes as he competes in additional events during the Games.