Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sport
Pat Forde

Léon Marchand Captured the 400 IM Olympic Gold and the Hearts of the French People

The 22-year-old Marchand won his first gold medal of the Paris Games, to the delight of the French fans. | Simon Bruty/Sports Illustrated

PARIS — The roars were deafening, rattling around La Défense Arena, pressing down on eardrums, vibrating the air. The screaming voices were urging the man of the hour, the day, the Olympiad, to go faster in pursuit of glory.

“It sounded like a soccer stadium,” said Carson Foster, an American tasked with trying to chase the man of the hour, the day, the Olympiad.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.