PARIS: There were world records, doping suspicions and more gold for Katie Ledecky but the Paris pool will long be remembered as the launch-pad for Leon Marchand. The "French Michael Phelps" lived up to his nickname with four golds, going to places that not even the American great had.
No swimmer had ever won the 200 metres butterfly and breaststroke at a Games – or perhaps even contemplated it.
Yet 22-year-old Marchand won both within two heady hours to send French fans into delirium.
He also won the 200 and 400m medley golds in a France first.
Not even the great Ian Thorpe generated such a buzz at Sydney 2000.
Crowds packed out the 15,000-capacity venue every day and were duly rewarded. Canadians bathed in Summer McIntosh's golden Games as the 17-year-old all but matched Marchand's medal haul. She swept both medley golds, won the 200m butterfly and was only denied the 400m freestyle gold by Australia's "Terminator" Ariarne Titmus, the first swimmer to retain the women's title in nearly 100 years.
McIntosh seems a worthy successor to Ledecky as the face of women's swimming – but the American great is by no means done.
Ledecky retained both her 800 and 1,500m freestyle golds after a disappointing bronze in the 400m. In winning the 800m, she not only equalled the nine-gold record among female Olympians in any sport but also joined Phelps as the only swimmer to win the same event at four Games. Her golds were vital for a U.S. team that had only eight from the meet, their lowest tally since Seoul 1988. It was just enough to foil ambitious Australia who were second behind the U.S. in the table with seven golds. Australia's women shone, none brighter than Kaylee McKeown who retained the 100 and 200m backstroke titles, the first woman to do so. China finished with two golds, with Pan Zhanle destroying his own world record in the men's 100m freestyle, then helping end the U.S.'s unbeaten run in the men's medley relay.
Multiple doping cases from several years ago haunted Team China at Paris despite their swimmers having been cleared by anti-doping authorities. Britain's triple Olympic champion Adam Peaty was frank about swimmers' fears for clean sport.
"We've got to have faith in the system, but we also don't," he said. --REUTERS