THE face of Paris 2024 continued the French gold rush as Léon Marchand became Olympic champion for the first time in spectacular fashion to start what could be the greatest week of his life.

Trained by Bob Bowman, the long-time mentor of Michael Phelps, Marchand broke the American great’s Olympic record in the 400m individual medley on the way to the first of what could be many golds.

The 22-year-old from Toulouse was expected to win this event, and the crowds queued more than half a mile back to get in and catch him in action.

Those who made it in were rewarded as Marchand put on a show. From the very first length, it was clear that no one was going to challenge him, flirting with his own world record until the final length of freestyle.

Still, his time of 4:02.95 was nearly a second quicker than anyone else in history, with second-placed Phelps in attendance to commentate on the race.

Martin Fourcade, France’s most decorated Olympian, presented the gold medal to Marchand. He will not catch the biathlete’s five golds in these Games, but in the long term, there is no ceiling to what he could do.

Marchand said: “It’s incredible. It’s difficult to describe the moment for me. I’ve dreamt of reaching an Olympic final and being Olympic champion since I was little and here I’ve done it at home in front of all these people, it’s crazy.

“I think it will be tough to relive this. I had my eyes wide open, I was trying to listen to what was happening and take the energy of the public, it was top.”

Marchand had made his debut as a 19-year-old in Tokyo three years ago, reaching the final in this event and finishing sixth.

Since then, he has taken over the sport, winning five individual gold medals at the World Championships, while training over in the States in Arizona.

This week, he will compete in the 200m IM, 200m butterfly and 200m breaststroke, and won world titles in the latter two last year.

With the butterfly and breaststroke swims coming on the same night, it might be asking a lot for him to win both. Should he complete a quadruple though, he would join Phelps and Mark Spitz as the only male swimmers ever to do so.

If there was elation for Marchand and every French fan packed into the arena, the contrast could not have been starker for Team GB’s Max Litchfield.

For the third Olympics running, he finished in fourth place in this event, a British record slender consolation for the 29-year-old.

He said: "I've given absolutely everything: emotionally, mentally, physically. It's tough, I'm just the wrong side of it again. I'm just gutted.

"But I've got to be proud. Fourth place in three Olympics on the trot, there aren't many people who can say that. It's on the wrong side of it but that's sport, it's life.

"That's not it, it's not the end for me, I'll have a few weeks off now and reflect and refresh and hopefully my body can hold out for four more years (for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028)."

Watch every moment of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 live only on discovery+,​ the streaming home of the Olympics