Heir apparent shatters world record, wipes Michael Phelps from swimming history

Michael Phelps’ heir apparent has shattered the longest-standing world record, wiping the 23-time Olympic champion from swimming history.

Michael Phelps no longer sits next to any world records. Picture: AFP PHOTO / LIONEL BONAVENTURE

French superfish Leon Marchand has smashed Michael Phelps’ last remaining individual world record at the swimming world championships.

On the opening night in Japan, Marchand won gold in the men’s 400m individual medley in a time of 4:02.50.

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The blistering finish was more than a second faster than Phelps’ world record of 4:03.84 set at the Beijing Olympics.

Phelps was in Fukuoka commentating the race for American TV and was on hand to present Marchand with his gold medal.

Adding to the moment of swimming symmetry, Marchand is coached by Phelps’ longtime mentor Bob Bowman.

Michael Phelps just commentated as his final individual World Record was broken by a swimmer coached by the same coach that helped him set that 400 IM World Record in the first place back in 2008...

A storybook ending to an incredible World Record. pic.twitter.com/etwtZgwJYq

— Kyle Sockwell (@kylesockwell) July 23, 2023

The 21-year-old Frenchman finished ahead of American Carson Foster in 4:06.56 and Japan’s Daiya Seto in 4:09.41.

“That was one of the most painful things I did,” said Marchand, after breaking the longest-held world record in swimming.

“That was amazing to do it here. The time is crazy.”

Michael Phelps congratulates Leon Marchand after be broke his last world record. (Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images)

Phelps, the 23-time Olympic gold medallist, first broke the 400IM world record at the 2003 world championships, meaning he’d held it for 20 years.

Marchand’s swim means Phelps no longer holds any individual swimming world records after his 100m and 200m butterfly marks were also broken in recent years.

There was a time in the late 2000s after the Beijing Olympic and the supersuit era when Phelps owned the world records in the 100m and 200m butterfly, 200m and 400m individual medley, as well as the 200m freestyle.

Phelps hands the individual medley baton to his heir apparent. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Second-place Foster said it was “pretty cool” to watch Marchand make history.

“Obviously the goal is always to win and Leon is a great competitor,” said Foster.

“Being the closest person to history was pretty cool, getting a front-row seat to that.”

The Frenchman insisted on Saturday that breaking the record was just “a step in my journey”.

Marchand will enter next year’s Paris Olympics as France’s great local hope to bring home a swag of medals.

A versatile swimmer in the mould of Phelps, Marchand is verging on becoming unbeatable in the 200m and 400m individual medley, and he is also a genuine medal threat in the 200m breaststroke and 200m butterfly.

He warned that “the best is yet to come”.

Originally published as Heir apparent shatters world record, wipes Michael Phelps from swimming history