2023 MEN’S PAC-12 SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Wednesday, March 1- Saturday, March 5, 2023
- Weyerhauser King County Aquatic Center – Federal Way, WA
- SCY (25 Yards)
- Defending Champions: Cal (5x)
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Leon Marchand has done it again.
During the finals of the 400 IM at the 2023 Pac-12 Championships, Marchand took down his own US Open and NCAA record in the event, swimming a 3:31.57. Previously, he had set the record with a time of 3:31.84 at the ASU vs. Cal dual meet this January. In Marchand’s race, he led from start to finish, ultimately winning by over six seconds (Hugo Gonzalez, the second-place finisher, clocked a time of 3:37.65).
FASTEST TIME IN HISTORY 🤯
Who else other than @ASUSwimDive's Léon Marchand?! pic.twitter.com/Ls9SEqbBL9
— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) March 4, 2023
All-Time Top Performances, Men’s 400-yard IM
- Leon Marchand, Arizona State — 3:31.57 (2023)
- Leon Marchand, Arizona State — 3:31.88 (2023)
- Hugo Gonzalez, Cal — 3:32.88 (2022)
- Chase Kalisz, Georgia — 3:33.42 (2017)
- Leon Marchand, Arizona State — 3:33.65 (2022)
- Carson Foster, Texas — 3:33.79 (2022)
Marchand now holds three out of top five fastest 400 IM performances of all time.
In less than a year, the NCAA and US Open record in the 400 IM has been lowered by nearly two seconds. In March 2022 at NCAAs, Hugo Gonzalez swam a 3:32.88 to break Chase Kalisz‘s old record time of 3:33.42, before Marchand smashed Gonzalez’s record by over a second in January and proceeded to break his own record tonight.
As you can see from Marchand’s splits, his fly and breast leg largely accounted for his improvements from January to now. He took his race out 0.55 seconds faster than he did in January on fly, and was also 0.12 seconds faster on breast. He was also 0.01 seconds faster on free, but had a slower backstroke leg compared to his old record.
Splits Comparison, January to March 2023
| Leon Marchand, 2023 Pac-12 Championships (current US Open and NCAA record) | Leon Marchand, 2023 ASU vs. Cal dual meet (former US Open and NCAA record) | |
| Fly | 48.20 | 48.75 |
| Back | 54.19 | 53.68 |
| Breast | 59.08 | 59.30 |
| Free | 50.10 | 50.11 |
| Total | 3:31.57 | 3:31.88 |
On Thursday, Leon raced and won the 200 IM, clocking the second-fastest time ever at 1:37.81. The only time he had been faster was when he went 1:37.63 at NCAAs last season.
I cant wait to see what Marchand does at the NCAAs! Also keep a lookout for ASU’s Hubert Kos who came in 3rd to Gonzalez by 3/100 of a second in his first 400 IM in yards!
2 gold medals and WR’s in IM in Paris 2024 🙂
Zac Stubblety-Cook is also shaking for his 200 breast gold medal. Leon is definitely closer to him than Milak on the 200 fly.
Many swimmers have to decide between short course and long course, between NCAA swimming and preparing for the Olympics, but he is so strong that he doesn’t have to decide. He is dominant in both pools. Don’t recall any other male swimmers in this situation.
Agree! He also won the World Championship in Budapest in June with the second fastest time in history!
He brought his 100 fly out in a 48.20!! Many people can’t swim that time let alone swim another 300 yards of each stroke.
Somewhere Bobo is smiling.
i really hope we get to see a mcintosh 400 IM scy tapered at some point
Looks like he should have been DQ’d for his turn at 350. He made a propulsive move(dolphin kick) before he had rotated to be on his breast. By rule, that’s backstroke and the free portion of an IM is really “none of the above (prior strokes).
I’m p sure they changed this rule sometime around 2013. I remember Lochte got disqualified for it once and I was surprised bc I always interpreted it as normal freestyle rules rather than this “none of the above” thing. Not gonna give a source because I’m lazy but yeah idk look it up i guess
The rule was “relaxed” in 2017: https://staging.swimswam.com/fina-rule-changes-including-loosened-lochte-rule-take-effect-today/
It still exists, but now you can push off on your back but can’t execute a stroke or kick until you’re on your stomach.
I didn’t watch the race but if LM did do a dolphin kick while on his back then yes, technically he should be DQ’d.
He was not past vertical on that first kick.
Honestly just watching him swim it’s like he’s the exact same through the whole event super strong but makes it look so easy, it’s crazy!