By Ian Ransom
PARIS (Reuters) – The fans came in droves, some draped in flags and most chanting the name of Leon Marchand as they packed La Defense Arena to the rafters and roared the young Frenchman to a seismic gold medal.
Michael Phelps was among them and the French Prime Minister, too, as the stadium seemed at times like a church for the faithful on the Olympics’ first Sunday.
At other times, it resembled a venue for a rock concert.
Before Marchand made his appearance, with the stadium plunged in darkness, fans lit up the terraces with their mobile phone screens and warmed up by belting out “La Marseillaise”.
They did not have to wait long for the headline act, however, with Marchand’s opening event, the 400 metres individual medley, the first on the programme.
His emergence pool-side triggered an ear-splitting roar from the stands which followed him all the way to the starting block.
The crowd hushed as he readied to start but sprang up again as he leapt off the block and proceeded to crush his rivals.
Thrashing the Japanese runner-up Tomoyuki Matsushita by nearly six seconds, world record holder Marchand became his nation’s first swimmer to win an Olympic medley title.
Nicknamed the “French Michael Phelps”, there is plenty about Marchand that lends comparison with the American great, if not yet the medal tally.
He swims the same strokes as Phelps and is trained by the latter’s old coach Bob Bowman.
He also has strong medal chances in each of his other three events: the 200m individual medley, 200m butterfly and 200m breaststroke.
Winning four individual gold medals at a single Games would put him squarely into Phelps territory.
Bowman marvelled at the power of a home-ground advantage, an experience that propelled Australia’s Ian Thorpe to three golds at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
“I’m not sure there’s been anything like this,” said American Bowman.
“It was amazing, really, to have that home team advantage.
“Not even advantage, but just energy, right? It was crazy.”
As a coach on the French team still guiding American swimmers, Bowman could not help but get caught up in the frenzy.
“I feel very close to (the French),” he added.
Congratulations came from all sides for Marchand, including from French soccer international Antoine Griezmann, who gleefully posted a picture of himself at the venue on social media.
Marchand even took a call from French President Emmanuel Macron.
And the party may only just be getting started.
“I’m Olympic champion and it’s not easy to realise,” he said.
“I had goosebumps on the podium, I felt really proud of myself and also being French. Amazing time for me. I was really living in the moment.”
(Reporting by Ian Ransom; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
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