Léon Marchand Pulls off One of the Most Audacious Doubles in Swimming History at Olympics 

Silver medalist Australia's Zac Stubblety-Cook (L), gold medalist France's Léon Marchand (C) and bronze medalist Netherlands' Caspar Corbeau (R) attend the podium ceremony of the men's 200m breaststroke swimming event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Paris La Defense Arena in Nanterre, west of Paris, on July 31, 2024. (AFP)
Silver medalist Australia's Zac Stubblety-Cook (L), gold medalist France's Léon Marchand (C) and bronze medalist Netherlands' Caspar Corbeau (R) attend the podium ceremony of the men's 200m breaststroke swimming event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Paris La Defense Arena in Nanterre, west of Paris, on July 31, 2024. (AFP)
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Léon Marchand Pulls off One of the Most Audacious Doubles in Swimming History at Olympics 

Silver medalist Australia's Zac Stubblety-Cook (L), gold medalist France's Léon Marchand (C) and bronze medalist Netherlands' Caspar Corbeau (R) attend the podium ceremony of the men's 200m breaststroke swimming event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Paris La Defense Arena in Nanterre, west of Paris, on July 31, 2024. (AFP)
Silver medalist Australia's Zac Stubblety-Cook (L), gold medalist France's Léon Marchand (C) and bronze medalist Netherlands' Caspar Corbeau (R) attend the podium ceremony of the men's 200m breaststroke swimming event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Paris La Defense Arena in Nanterre, west of Paris, on July 31, 2024. (AFP)

Turns out, those comparisons to Michael Phelps weren’t farfetched at all when it comes to Léon Marchand.

They certainly weren’t a burden for the 22-year-old Frenchman.

Marchand completed one of the most audacious doubles in swimming history Wednesday night, winning the 200-meter butterfly and the 200 breaststroke about two hours apart in front of a home crowd cheering his every stroke.

Two grueling races. Two very different strokes. Two Olympic records. Two gold medals.

Take that, Phelps, who did several doubles of his own while claiming a record eight golds at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

“I’m a really shy person,” Marchand said. “I was kind of the center of attention during those two races. I was trying to get the energy from the whole crowd. They’re amazing to me, pushing me in every final.”

Thrilling the French fans and claiming the spotlight even on a night when Katie Ledecky romped to another gold medal, Marchand notched his second and third victories at La Defense Arena and stamped himself — with the Olympics not even a week old — as one of the faces of the Games.

After rallying to beat world-record holder and defending Olympic champion Kristóf Milák in the 200 fly with a finishing kick for the ages, Marchand made it look easy in the 200 breast.

He led all the way, touching in 2 minutes, 5.85 seconds as more than 15,000 fans — many of them holding up cardboard cutouts of his smiling face — nearly blew the roof off La Defense Arena.

“Léon! Léon! Léon!” they screamed, a chant that was sure to carry on through the night in Paris.

Marchand gets thing rolling

Trailing most of the way in the 200 fly, Marchand surged past the Hungarian Milák on the final lap to finish with an Olympic record of 1:51.71, touching first by just by four-hundredths of a second.

Marchand’s final lap was nearly 0.66 faster than anyone else in the field — and 1.26 clear of Milák.

“I’ve been watching so many races from him,” Marchand said. “I know he has a lot of speed, way more than me, so I was just trying to get as close as possible, and then just push it until the end.”

The bronze went to Canada’s Ilya Kharun.

Following up his dominating victory in the 400 individual medley on Sunday, Marchand waved one finger and shook his head just a bit, as if he couldn’t quite believe what he had done.

Then, he hustled off the deck to another rousing cheer to begin his warm down, though those preparations were interrupted by a mandatory return for the victory ceremony.

After a boisterous rendition of “La Marseillaise,” the other two medalists walked slowly around the pool, getting their pictures made.

Not Marchand. He hustled back to the practice pool. There was another race to go.

Ledecky’s record gold

The American star made the most of her guest appearance on The Marchand Show by romping to her seventh individual Olympic gold medal -- she also has a relay gold -- and 12th medal overall with a runaway victory in the 1,500 freestyle.

The 27-year-old Ledecky tied fellow Americans Dara Torres, Natalie Coughlin and Jenny Thompson for the most medals ever by a female swimmer. Ledecky already held the mark for most individual gold medals by a woman coming into these games.

“I try not to think about history very much,” Ledecky said. “But I know those names, those people that I’m up there with, they’re swimmers that I looked up to when I first started swimming. So it’s an honor just to be named among them.”

Ledecky led right from the start and steadily pulled away, touching in an Olympic-record 15:30.02 in an event that joined the women’s program at the Tokyo Games in 2021.

This was similar to the race three years ago: Ledecky far in front and everyone else racing for a silver.

France’s Anastasiia Kirpichinikova finished nearly a half lap behind but thrilled the home fans by claiming the second spot on the podium in 15:40.35.

The bronze went to Germany’s Isabel Gose at 15:41.16.

After starting the Paris Games with a bronze in the 400 freestyle, this result looked more familiar for Ledecky.

She was clearly thrilled to be on top again, splashing the water and pumping her fist several times walking across the deck — a rare show of emotion for a stoic athlete who performs with machine-like efficiency.

“I know a lot of other people expected it of me,” Ledecky said. “That doesn’t make it easy. I mean, it’s not easy to always follow through and you get the job done.”

Marchand returns for more gold

As Ledecky was walking off the deck with her gold medal, it was time for Marchand to go for his second of the night.

No problem. He blew away the field in the 200 breaststroke with an Olympic record of 2:05.85, knocking off another champion from Tokyo.

Australia’s Zac Stubblety-Cook settled for the silver this time, nearly a second behind in 2:06.79. Claiming the bronze was Casper Corbeau of the Netherlands.

“The most exciting part of that whole race and watching him soak it all up and have his moment,” Stubblety-Cook said. “I think it’s awesome. It’s great for the sport of swimming and it’s great to see the better half of 15,000 people chanting one person’s name and watching swimming live.”

Marchand climbed out of the pool and stared at the scoreboard. He tussled his mop of curly hair a few times, then threw his arms in the air.

His work was done, at least for a few hours. Next up is the 200 individual medley, which begins with heats Thursday morning.

“I’m so very proud of him,” said his coach, American Bob Bowman, who also was Phelps’ coach. “That’s a tremendous, historic effort.”

China’s Pan Zhanle sets first swimming world record of Paris Games

Nearly lost in all the hoopla was China’s Pan Zhanle setting the first world record of these Games, breaking his own mark in the 100 freestyle.

He won in 46.40, easily knocking off the mark of 46.80 he set in February at the world championships in Doha.

It was an impressive performance given the shallow pool at La Defense Arena, which has been cited as the big reason no world records fell over the first four days of the meet.

Australia’s Kyle Chalmers claimed the silver and David Popovici of Romania nabbed the bronze.

Swedish gold for 5-time Olympian Sjöström

Sarah Sjöström made her fifth Olympics a gold-medal celebration with a victory in the 100 freestyle.

Sjöström had pared down her program at the last two world championships, swimming only the 50 free. She decided to add the 100 at the Paris Games, and boy did that decision pay off.

Her winning time was 52.16, with the US settling for another silver medal -- its eighth of the swimming competition -- when Torri Huske finished in 52.29. Siobhan Haughey of Hong Kong took the bronze.



Liverpool Comes up Short against Forest Again in Premier League as Man City’s Fallibility Returns

 Nottingham Forest's Chris Wood greets fans at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Nottingham Forest and Liverpool at the City Ground stadium in Nottingham, England, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (AP)
Nottingham Forest's Chris Wood greets fans at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Nottingham Forest and Liverpool at the City Ground stadium in Nottingham, England, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (AP)
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Liverpool Comes up Short against Forest Again in Premier League as Man City’s Fallibility Returns

 Nottingham Forest's Chris Wood greets fans at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Nottingham Forest and Liverpool at the City Ground stadium in Nottingham, England, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (AP)
Nottingham Forest's Chris Wood greets fans at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Nottingham Forest and Liverpool at the City Ground stadium in Nottingham, England, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (AP)

Liverpool will be glad to see the back of Nottingham Forest.

Two games against the big surprise of the Premier League season have yielded just one point for the leaders after their 1-1 draw at Forest’s rocking City Ground on Tuesday.

Liverpool has lost only once in 20 games so far this campaign — and that was 1-0 at home to Forest in September.

Four months later, Diogo Jota scored with a header from a corner in the 66th minute — just 22 seconds after coming on as a substitute — to earn Liverpool a draw that maintained its six-point cushion over Forest, which moved into second place in its improbable bid to qualify for the Champions League. And who knows, maybe more.

Forest was on course to record an unlikely home-and-away double over Arne Slot’s team after top scorer Chris Wood scored in the eighth minute.

Liverpool piled on the pressure late on but again failed to defeat Forest, which started the season more likely to be in a relegation battle than competing for the title.

"Before the season we needed to get as quickly as possible to 40 points," Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels said, referring to the total that typically is enough to guarantee safety. "With 17 games to go, we have got 41 so we can look a little bit higher."

Forest’s fans goaded Slot at times in a febrile atmosphere at the City Ground that hasn’t been this bouncing for a generation. The good times look to be back at a club that was famously European champions in back-to-back years under managerial great Brian Clough, in 1979 and '80.

Liverpool has a game in hand over Forest so is still in a strong position to win a record-tying 20th English league title. Arsenal is in third place, a further point back, and can trim the gap to Liverpool to four points by beating Tottenham in the north London derby on Wednesday.

"If we continue bringing performances like in the second half today," Slot said, "then we will not always be that unlucky that it ends with a draw."

City's fallibility returns

Manchester City showed more late-game fallibility in squandering a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at Brentford.

City conceded in the 82nd minute and again two minutes into stoppage time after Phil Foden scored twice for the struggling champions, who are battling to simply qualify for the Champions League this season.

Prior to winning its last two league games against Leicester and West Ham, City had won just one in nine to drop out of the Champions League qualification positions. During that poor run, City conceded two late goals to lose to Manchester United while also throwing away a three-goal lead late in a 3-3 draw against Feyenoord in the Champions League.

"We have to manage (games) a little bit better," City manager Pep Guardiola said, "but today was not bad."

Yoane Wissa and Christian Norgaard were the scorers for Brentford to leave City in sixth place.

Last-gasp equalizer for Chelsea

Chelsea salvaged a 2-2 draw at home to Bournemouth thanks to Reece James' free kick in the fifth minute of stoppage time but saw its winless run in the league extend to five games.

Cole Palmer put Chelsea ahead with a cheeky finish in the 13th minute for his 14th goal of the season, only for Bournemouth to respond as Antoine Semenyo won a penalty — converted by Justin Kluivert — and smashed home a rising finish in the 68th.

Chelsea stayed in fourth place — at least until fifth-place Newcastle plays on Wednesday.

Potter’s first win Graham Potter secured his first win as West Ham manager as his new team beat Fulham 3-2.

Carlos Soler and Tomas Soucek scored first-half goals before Lucas Paqueta grabbed the crucial third for West Ham, which brought in Potter last week as a replacement for the fired Julen Lopetegui.

Potter’s first match in charge was a defeat at Aston Villa in the FA Cup on Friday.

Alex Iwobi scored Fulham’s goals to make it 2-1 and then 3-2.

West Ham moved 10 points clear of the relegation zone with the victory.

Orient set for City in FA Cup Third-tier Leyton Orient set up a fourth-round match with Man City in the FA Cup next month by beating second-tier Derby 6-5 on penalties.