‘The French Michael Phelps’: Magnussen breaks down how the French hero achieved double gold
Jess Fox Australia’s “greatest athlete,” France’s hometown hero, Mollie’s nerves get the better of her, the hard truths for the Matildas and more on the Matty and the Missile podcast in Paris.
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France has reason to celebrate after the incredible double gold medal efforts from the nation’s newest hero Leon Marchand, with dual Olympian James ‘Missile’ Magnussen declaring “we haven’t seen anything like this since Michael Phelps.”
“He didn’t overly celebrate after the race, secondly as soon as they sang the national anthem he got off the podium and walked straight off the pool deck. Didn’t do the photos, didn’t walk around to the crowd’s admiration, didn’t celebrate the win,” the Missile said of the 22-year-old’s incredible double feat on the Matty and the Missile podcast.
“Even though the crowd was at fever pitch, he blocked that out and went straight back into game mode and that showed experience beyond his years, he’s only 22.”
With Magnussen speaking of the French champion in the same realm as the GOAT.
“Leon Marchand, he’s essentially the French Michael Phelps right now, he should have four individual gold medals by the end of this Olympic Games, which is only one less than Michael Phelps.
“It’s incredible for a swimmer of his age to show that composure in front of a home crowd.”
A high of highs for the host nation, it was a bittersweet night in the pool for the Aussies, with the golden girls, Mollie O’Callaghan and Shayna Jack handed a reality check of just how hard it is to achieve that elusive gold, with both missing the podium in the 100m freestyle final.
“It’s partly inexperience,” Magnussen said of O’Callaghan.
“This is the first time she’s done this heavy of a program at an Olympic Games, but also it’s the Olympic Games factor which means the emotions are higher, the stakes are higher, the environment is more imperfect, the beds, the travel… she certainly felt that.”
“The big thing is you have to get through the heats of the semis with as little emotion as possible. The other thing that Mollie spoke about tonight, she said I was just too nervous, the nerves got the better of me.”
“She wins the 200m freestyle last night, you’d think the pressure is off but such is the gravity and the tension of the 100m freestyle Olympic final, she felt that again, that extra level.”
Meanwhile Kyle Chalmers delivered silver in a sensational 100m freestyle final, but the swimming world was shocked by the emergence of 19-year-old Pan Zhanle who smashed the world record, some calling it “not humanly possible.”
“It’s the first time since 1972 that a 100m freestyler has beat the silver medallist by more than a second,” Magnussen said.
Zhanle with a message to the rest of the competition with his pre-race manoeuvres.
“It’s all mind games, he was basically saying to the other swimmers, you’re in my race, this works on my time, you wait for me.”
Away from the pool and across to the chaos of the streaming river gates hosting the canoe slalom final, Jess Fox pulled off “her greatest win” and as if she hadn’t already done so this week, solidified her status as an Aussie great.
“We now say that Jess Fox, four time Olympian, multiple gold medallist, has defended the C1 title, I think she’s the greatest athlete we’ve got right now in this country,” Journalist Brent Read declared.
“She’s a class act on and off the water… I can see her on cereal boxes and on television ads… she’s the ultimate athlete.
“I acknowledge the swimmers are pretty good too but Jess deserves everything she gets.”
But despite the Fox glory, there was only disappointment for the Matildas, who left their Games fate in the hands of other nations, with results that didn’t go their way. Read echoed the call for change, after a performance that “was exceptionally poor.”
“It’s not like we’re the 100th ranked team in the world, we’re number 12 in the world, playing the USA who are number five.
“They played for the draw, and I think that’s a really negative attitude.
“Australians respect you if you attack and play with positivity, and there was nothing positive about that performance.
“Tony (Gustavsson) decides the tactics, and I think tactically you’d see today it was a really negative way to play the game. So I don’t blame the players because he’s the guy who dictates how they play.
“I think we saw him coach his last game today, I think the time has come.
“He looked like a guy who was defeated and didn’t have a lot of answers and I think it’s time for a change.”
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