Leon Marchand broke the men’s 200m medley world record in winning his semi-final at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore.
Leon Marchand’s current world record stands in the 200 metre individual medley (long course), which he shattered in the semi‑finals at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore on July 30, 2025. He clocked an astonishing 1:52.69, obliterating Ryan Lochte’s 1:54.00 mark that had stood since 2011—improving it by roughly 1.31 seconds .—🏊
Key Highlights of the World RecordTime: 1:52.69 in the 200 m individual medley, long courseContext: Achieved during semifinals, not the finalPrevious record: 1:54.00 by Ryan Lochte (2011) Margin of improvement: ~1.31 seconds, a massive leap at elite level
🏆 Other Notable Marchand AchievementsEvent World Record Date & Venue200 m Individual Medley 1:52.69 (long course) July 30, 2025 – Singapore (semi-final)400 m Individual Medley 4:02.50 (long course) July 25, 2023 – Fukuoka World Championships (also European & French record) At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Marchand also etched his name in the record books:200 m IM: Olympic and European record of 1:54.06, gold medal performance 400 m IM: Olympic record of 4:02.95, gold medal in Paris
🎯 What This MeansMarchand now holds both the 200 m and 400 m IM world records—making him only the second man in the past 30 years to achieve that double, along with Michael Phelps .Breaking a record by over 1.3 seconds at the elite level is extraordinary—and in a semi-final, no less, which speaks to his training strategy and competitiveness.He deliberately scaled back his event schedule at the 2025 Worlds (focusing just on the 200 m and 400 m IM), allowing him to maximize his freshness and execute this world‑record 🏊
