An unusual Olympic date change has cleared the way for French swimming star Leon Marchand to compete in the men's 200m butterfly and 200m breaststroke finals during the Paris Games.
The two finals were originally scheduled to be played back-to-back on July 31st, but the latest competition schedule announced by the Paris organizing committee in February means that four other events will be sandwiched between the finals. became.
According to Le Monde newspaper, France's swimming governing body lobbied for the change to give Marchand, 21, a chance to win both events.
File photo shows French swimmer Leon Marchand's reaction after winning the men's 400m individual medley final in a world record time at the World Aquatics Championships held in Fukuoka, Japan on July 23, 2023. is shown in the photo. (Joint)
Le Monde newspaper quoted French technical director Julien Isoly as saying that the international federation encountered this problem because no athlete had previously competed for both the 200m breaststroke and 200m butterfly at this level. He said he had never done it.
Schedule changes that appear to benefit certain athletes could raise questions of fairness.
“Typically, in situations like this, swimmers are forced to choose one out of two to win a medal,” said a Japan Swimming Federation official. “I'm sure there's something I'd like to say (about changing the schedule).”
At last summer's World Championships in Fukuoka, Marchand set a world record in the 400m individual medley and also won gold medals in the 200m IM and 200m butterfly.
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