Léon Marchand changed people last summer, on the occasion of the Paris Games. Its incredible quadrupled quadrupled in the defense basin Arena has indeed made him a real icon of French sport, which is not without some drawbacks.
The Toulouse swimmer now generates a lot of expectations, whether in the pools or outside. L'Equipe thus reveals that some were Chafouins during an evening organized at the Zénith in Toulouse by its club of the Dauphins where in particular elected and partners were invited. The reason? Léon Marchand had not deigned to come …
Critics were therefore heard. Enough to make react… Fabien Barthez. Exasperated, the former goalkeeper of the French team did not hesitate to go up to the gallery to defend them. “I spoke because I was a little angry. Let it go! It does not belong to you “he explained.
“Leon owes nothing to anyone”
“This kid touches me, what he lives resonates with my story”he justified, adding that he had known “The same tsunami” After the coronation of the Blues at the 1998 World Cup. A situation which he himself had difficulties in apprehending and which must not make the essentials forget.
“The important thing is to remember that we are there to have fun. In football, the attacker is there to score, the goalkeeper prevents him. He returned to the essence of his sport, swim to beat his own records ”he underlined, adding: “But the outside sees things differently and wants to get something from the champion. Except that Leon owes nothing to anyone. Neither to journalists, nor to partners, nor to the public. Or even his coaches who accompany him without waiting for him to say thank you, just he keeps the desire. »»
“In all sports we play, we must preserve the concept of pleasure, of intrinsic challenge, he still insisted.
I always said that my main competitor was me. Leon is one of those athletes who fight against themselves, without looking at others. Which allowed him to chain the races. Taking care of yourself already takes a lot of energy, time, reflection. »»
