Tokyo (AFP)

The young Frenchman Léon Marchand, 19, narrowly qualified on Saturday in Tokyo for the Olympic final of the 400m medley, his first at this level, with the seventh time in the series.

In full progress and author of the fourth best time of the season (4: 09.65) among the Olympic entries, the Toulousain completed his race in 4 min 10 sec 09.

"It was great, I enjoyed my moment," he remembers from his very first Olympic race.

"In addition, strategically, it was nice, because they all started faster, and I was able to come back to breaststroke, my strong point. Afterwards, in crawl, it was the battle with everyone. , it was really cool. I lived it thoroughly, and I qualified in the final, it's really great! "

Son of international swimmers, this representative of the Paris-2024 generation had invited himself to Tokyo by pulverizing his French record by more than five seconds in mid-June, which only dated from the end of March.

Distanced at halfway, in the toughest series, Marchand came back well in the last 100 meters, unlike the Japanese triple world champion in the distance Daiya Seto, 9th time and eliminated.

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Australian Brendon Smith set the best time of the heats in 4:09:27, a new Oceania record, ahead of New Zealander Lewis Clareburt (4: 09.49) and two favorites, American Chase Kalisz (4: 09.65 ) and the Hungarian David Verraszto (4: 09.80).

"It's quite impressive, we are more or less at the same level. Afterwards, I know that there are some who have managed more this evening (Saturday) compared to me. I went to the fullest. But this which is good is that we are all in the same second, it will be a good final, "anticipates Marchand before the race scheduled for Sunday.

"The podium, it seems complicated anyway, he admits. But I'll try to do the best. And then it's an Olympic final, you have to live it!"

The event takes place without the Japanese Kosuke Hagino, crowned in Rio but who reserves for the 200m medley, and the recent European champion, the Russian Ilya Borodin, tested positive for Covid-19.

© 2021 AFP