Léon Marchand pulls off one of the most audacious doubles in swimming history at the Paris Olympics

AP National Writer

NANTERRE, France (AP) — Turns out, those comparisons to Michael Phelps weren’t farfetched at all when it comes to Léon Marchand. They certainly weren’t a burden for the 22-year-old Frenchman. Marchand has completed one of the most audacious doubles in swimming history, winning the 200-meter butterfly and the 200 breaststroke about two hours apart at the Paris Games. Two grueling races. Two very different strokes. Two Olympic records. Two gold medals. Take that, Phelps. Thrilling the home fans and claiming the spotlight even on a night when Katie Ledecky romped to another gold medal, Marchand claimed his second and third victories at La Defense Arena and stamped himself as one of the faces of these Games.