The Marchand medal industrial complex continued its inexorable roll on Thursday night when the 22-year-old Frenchman qualified for the final of the 200m individual medley.
He claimed his semi-final in one minute, 56.31 seconds. Daiya Seto, Finlay Knox and Shaine Casas will join him from his race in Friday's final at the Paris La Defense Arena with four from the first semi-final.
"I was on empty," Marchand admitted. "I had to swim one minute 56 to qualify so it's no breeze. I'm going to need to recover really well because I'm feeling a biut low." I
On Wednesday, Marchand became the first man to win two gold medals in the same evening in the swimming pool at the Olympic Games.
First, he divested the Hungarian Kristof Milak of his 200m butterfly crown and two hours later dismissed the rest of the pool to take the 200m breaststroke.
The double took his tally up to three following victory on Sunday night in the 400m individual medley.
His appearance on Thursday night increased the din inside the arena to weapons-grade levels. And he saluted the 14,000 spectators as his name was chanted.
A huge roar greeted his victory a few minutes later.
Recovery
"l'll need to sleep well, eat well and drink lots of liquids;" Marchand added. "And I should be in with a chance on Friday."
Before his arrival, Canadian teen sensation Summer McIntosh burnished her legend with her second gold medal of the meeting.
McIntosh, who will be 18 on 18 August, won the women's 200m butterfly in two minutes, 03.03 seconds. She came in ahead of the American Regan Smith and Yufei Zhang from China.
In her previous outings at her second Olympic Games, she has won the 4x100m individual medley and came second in the 400m freestyle.
"It's pretty surreal," said McIntosh. "I haven't reflected on it too much right now. Overall, it's been a pretty amazing Games for me."
In the other races, Kate Douglass from the United States claimed gold in the women's 200m breaststroke and Australia won the women's 4x200m freestyle relay.
The Hungarian Hubert Kos produced a slick surge in the last 20 metres to pip Apostolos Christou to the gold in the men's 200m backstroke.
Christou's silver was the first medal for Greece in the swimming pool since the inaugural Olympic Games in 1896 in Athens.
