Leon Marchand of France broke the men’s 200-metre individual medley world record with a sensational swim in the semifinals at the World Aquatics Championships – Singapore 2025 on Wednesday, 30 July. The 23-year-old clocked 1 minute 52.69 seconds to surpass the previous world mark of 1 minute 54.00 seconds set by Ryan Lochte of the United States in 2011. The final will take place on Thursday, 31 July.

Marchand dominated the field from start to finish, hitting 150 metres in 1 minute 24.63 seconds before closing in with a powerful final length. Shaine Casas of the United States was second fastest in 1 minute 55.13 seconds, followed by Duncan Scott of Great Britain in 1 minute 55.51 seconds. The French swimmer’s splits and technical execution signaled a performance of the highest calibre.

“I actually can’t really believe it right now,” said Marchand. “I knew I was going to get close to my personal best because I felt really good today, and the preparation has been pretty good, so I was really excited to race. It’s unbelievable for me. What’s crazy is that it’s a whole second… and it’s still hard to believe. A 1:52 on the 200 metres — that’s insane.”

“It was probably the right decision,” he said, reflecting on his season-long focus on the individual medley. “I’m grateful for my coaches and all the staff behind me. It’s been a pretty hard season for me, but I’m so happy to be here. In the water, I felt light, I was taking in a lot of water, and technically, everything felt clean. I gave it absolutely everything. Arms at full speed all the way to the wall.”

Nicolas Castel, head coach of the French team, praised the execution. “The plan after the heats was for him to go all out for the first 150 metres, and then, at the end of the 150, decide whether to push all the way or not. What he did today was stratospheric. It was a great race — truly classic Léon. Just incredible. He can be proud.”

In the final event of the night, the team of Neutral Athletes won the mixed 4×100-metre medley relay in a championship record time of 3 minutes 37.97 seconds. China took the silver medal in 3 minutes 39.99 seconds, while Canada claimed bronze in 3 minutes 40.90 seconds. The previous championship record of 3 minutes 38.56 seconds, held by the United States, was broken after the Americans failed to qualify for the final.