Léon Marchand Wins Gold in Texas-Trained Trio/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Léon Marchand of France captured gold in the 200-meter individual medley at the swimming world championships, joined on the podium by fellow Texas-based swimmers Shaine Casas and Hubert Kós. Marchand narrowly missed breaking his own world record set just one day earlier. Canadian Summer McIntosh earned her third gold, and David Popovici added a historic win in the 100 freestyle.
Texas Trained, World Dominant: Quick Looks
- Léon Marchand wins gold in the 200-meter IM, nearly breaking his world record
- Shaine Casas (USA) earns silver, Hubert Kós (Hungary) takes bronze
- All three medalists train under Bob Bowman at the University of Texas
- Summer McIntosh of Canada wins 200-meter butterfly for third gold
- David Popovici claims 100 freestyle in second-fastest time in history
- Regan Smith earns two silvers on the day for Team USA
- U.S. relay finishes second in the women’s 4×200 freestyle
- Australia leads medal count with fifth gold of the championships
Deep Look: Marchand Leads Texas-Based Surge at Swimming Worlds
SINGAPORE — A Texas training camp produced a global podium sweep Thursday as Léon Marchand of France captured gold in the 200-meter individual medley at the World Aquatics Championships, closely followed by silver medalist Shaine Casas of the United States and bronze medalist Hubert Kós of Hungary.
The trio shares a common bond beyond their elite swimming prowess — all three are training under renowned coach Bob Bowman at the University of Texas in Austin, best known for guiding Michael Phelps to Olympic immortality.
Marchand, 22, swam a blazing 1:53.68, just shy of the world record of 1:52.69 he set 24 hours earlier in the semifinals. Both times obliterate the previous 1:54.00 record set by American great Ryan Lochte in 2011.
“It was a bit tough today, but it was great,” Marchand said. “Shaine always goes out fast, so I had to stay close. It was a battle all the way to the end.”
Marchand Eyes More History
While Marchand is only entered in two individual events in Singapore — far fewer than the four he won in the 2024 Paris Olympics — he still has his eyes on the 400 IM. He already holds the world record in that event (4:02.50) from last year’s worlds, and it remains a major storyline heading into Sunday’s final.
“That’s still a whole new challenge,” Marchand said. “I’ve gained a lot of power, but I’m not sure it makes a difference over 400. We’ll see.”
McIntosh’s Medal March Continues
Summer McIntosh of Canada added another gold with a commanding performance in the 200-meter butterfly, clocking 2:01.99 — just 0.18 seconds off the world record set in 2009 by Liu Zige during the super-suit era.
Despite her win, McIntosh was visibly disappointed. “Our goal was to break the world record. I missed it by that little,” she said. “I know I messed up the last 15 meters.”
McIntosh, who begins training under Bob Bowman at Texas this fall, now owns three gold medals at these championships.
Popovici Delivers in the 100 Freestyle
Romanian sprint sensation David Popovici captured gold in the 100-meter freestyle, touching in 46.51 — the second-fastest time in history. Only China’s Pan Zhanle has gone faster, with his 46.40 mark from 2024. Pan failed to reach the final in Singapore.
“Usually the one who wins is the one who can isolate themselves from others,” Popovici explained. “I imagine I’m alone and do what I trained for.”
Jack Alexy of the United States took silver (46.92), while Kyle Chalmers of Australia earned bronze (47.17).
Americans Rack Up More Medals
Katharine Berkoff secured gold in the 50-meter backstroke with a time of 27.08, narrowly edging Regan Smith (27.25), who notched her second silver of the evening. Wan Letian of China took bronze at 27.30.
Smith, despite battling illness like much of Team USA, continued to perform at an elite level.
Gretchen Walsh, however, withdrew from the women’s 100 freestyle due to lingering effects of a stomach bug contracted during training in Thailand, according to head coach Greg Meehan.
Relay Results and Team Standings
In the women’s 4×200 freestyle relay, Australia took gold with a time of 7:39.35, edging out the United States (7:40.01). China claimed bronze (7:42.99). Australia now leads the medal standings with five gold medals.
Yu Zidi, China’s 12-year-old phenom, who placed fourth in the 200 butterfly, contributed to China’s bronze by swimming in the prelims — a remarkable achievement for such a young competitor.
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