From the country that gave us Louis XIV, the self-styled Sun King and: "L'état, c'est moi," we now have Léon I, the Swim King and: "La piscine, c'est moi." The 22-year-old added a fourth Olympic gold medal to his trophy cabinet on Friday night.
Winning streak
Léon Marchand made it four golds in six days when he claimed - in the presence of French President Emmanuel Macron - the 200m individual medley. Marchand is France's most successful athlete at a single Olympics. He's bigger now than the cyclist Paul Masson who won three golds in cycling in 1896 and Jean-Claude Killy who also won three in 1968 at the Grenoble winter Olympics.
Presidential bounce
Macron alos took time off from the rigours off his Mediterranean holiday complex to whizz back towards Paris and have a look at the country’s top horse riders. His presence at the arena in the grounds of the Château de Versailles didn't bring them golden wonders. They came third in the jumping team event. The United States and Britain won silver and gold respectively.
Like father, like son
It was hot out in the arena as the riders had to complete 14 obstacles within 79 seconds. A four-point penalty if a bit falls off an obstacle and a point deduction for every second a rider finishes past 79 seconds. Riders of the storm kind of vibe. Well, the doors have definitely opened for the 25-year-old British rider Harry Charles who won gold with Ben Maher and Scott Brash who won gold at the 2012 Olympics in the jumping team event with Peter Charles, Harry's dad.
Nice touch
McLain Ward of the United States team was magnanimous in defeat. Scott Brash was the last to go in the jumping team event knowing that it would be silver or even bronze or nothing for Britain if he knocked over a fence or two. The 38-year-old on the good steed Jefferson brushed the last fence but it stayed up and he copped a point penalty to claim the crown. “Scott Brash just had a little bit of magic today,” said Ward.
Teddy ho
Teddy Riner won gold for France in the +100kg judo. The legend is 35 and there was talk of him going on to compete in Los Angeles in 2028 to try and add to make it four individual golds. Macron also made an appearance at the final at the Champs de Mars alongside thousands of screaming French fans.
