Léon Marchand, quadruple Olympic champion and home hero of the Paris 2024 Olympics, made up for the times he couldn't make French nationals in the recent past with a crowd-pleasing thump of a 400m medley victory on Day 1 in Saint Étienne: 4:04.56.

That's the 5th fastest on an all-time top 5 that bears his name four times, alongside previous charge, Michael Phelps (USA), the previous charge of his coach in Arizona and now Texas, Bob Bowman.

Faster than Marchand's 2025 World-title victory, here's how it panned out, how it compares to fastest swims and where it fits in the club of six swims that make up the club of sub-4:05 efforts:

• 54.32; 1:56.76 (1:02.44); 3:04.24 (1:07.48); 4:02.95 (58.26) 2024 Olympic gold - Paris (2m pool depth and tank choppiness to take into consideration ...)
• 54.66; 1:56.64 (1:01.98) 3:04.28 (1:07.64) 4:02.50 (58.22) - 2023 World Championships gold - Fukuoka WR
• 55.18; 1:57.31 (1:02.13); 3:05.40 (1:08.09); 4:04.56 (59.16) - 2026 - French nationals, St Étienne

So, a touch out the whole way, the shadow longer come the closing freestyle, days of taper ahead of him.

The sub 4:05 Club:

The Race ... and

Marchand In His Own Words:

More coverage of that moments and others on day 1 in St Étienne...