PIX: Marchand makes swimming history with golden double

Images from the Olympics swimming action at the La Defense Arena, Paris, on Wednesday.

France's Paris Games poster boy Leon Marchand achieved what no swimmer has done before by winning the 200 metres breaststroke and butterfly golds on the same night -- and both in Olympic record times - at his home Olympics on Wednesday.

The breaststroke gold was his third at the La Defense Arena, but the 22-year-old rewrote the script on what was previously thought possible by becoming the first to win a medal in both of the demanding disciplines.

To win both titles was a simply astonishing achievement. To do it at a single Games even more remarkable. To take double gold on the same night, with a medal ceremony in between, truly the stuff of fiction.

Even US great Michael Phelps, whose coach now works with the Frenchman, did not achieve that.

With the crowd chanting his name at every stroke -- "Leon, Leon" echoing around the arena -- Marchand led every metre of the breaststroke before touching out in two minutes 05.85 seconds.

The World record, set by China's Qin Haiyang last year, stands at 2:05.48s and Marchand was set to beat that up to the 150 metre mark.

Australia's Zac Stubblety-Cook, the 2021 champion in Tokyo, had to settle for silver while Caspar Corbeau of the Netherlands took the bronze.

Marchand, who won the Individual Medley on Sunday, sent sound levels off the scale from the moment he stepped onto the pool deck.

Earlier in the day, he took his second gold medal of the Olympics to set up the possibility of an unprecedented same-day 200 metres butterfly and breaststroke double.

Roared on by his fans, he beat Hungary's World record holder and reigning champion Kristof Milak into second place.

Canada's Ilya Kharun took the bronze in a race, led by Milak until the final length when he was reeled in by his 22-year-old opponent in a thrilling duel to the wall in a deafening atmosphere with the crowd reaching a crescendo.

Marchand's time of one minute 51.21s was the third fastest ever in the discipline.

Ledecky retains 1,500m Freestyle title, re-writes record books

Katie Ledecky blitzed the field to retain her 1,500 metres freestyle title, the American iron-woman securing a record-equalling eighth gold medal in the sport.

World record holder Ledecky blew away the field in the gruelling, 30-lap race at La Defense Arena, touching the wall in an Olympic record 15.30.02, more than 10 seconds ahead of France's silver medallist Anastasiia Kirpichnikova.

Germany's Isabel Gose took bronze.

Ledecky now shares the record for most Olympic gold medals in women's swimming with American Jenny Thompson, who won eight relay titles over three Olympics from 1992-2000.

Her collection of Olympic medals now equals the all-time record of 12 in women's swimming shared by Thompson, Americans Dara Torres and Natalie Coughlin, and Australian Emma McKeon.

China's Pan betters 100m Freestyle World record for gold 

China's Pan Zhanle obliterated his own 100 metres freestyle World record at the Olympics as he took an astonishing gold medal in the event and humbled a slew of champion rivals.

The 19-year-old's time of 46.40 seconds shaved an incredible 0.40 seconds off his previous mark set at the World Championships in Doha in February when he announced himself to the world with a stunning relay leadoff swim.

Australia's silver medallist Kyle Chalmers finished a yawning 1.08 seconds behind the incredible Pan, while David Popovici finished a further 0.01 second behind for the bronze.

There was no easing in for Pan, who took off like a rocket and mowed down the opening 50 metres in an outrageous 22.28 seconds.

The Chinese sensation blew any hopes Chalmers and Popovici might have had of catching him out of the water as he stretched his lead and flew to the wall.

Sjostrom a winner after women's 100m Freestyle late bid

Evergreen Swede Sarah Sjostrom's late decision to enter the women's 100 metres freestyle at the Paris Olympics paid off in spades as she trumped a top-quality field to clinch the gold medal in the blue riband sprint on Wednesday.

The 30-year-old Sjostrom had planned to put all her eggs in the 50m freestyle basket and help Sweden in the relays but changed her mind after realising there were two days' rest between her individual events.

Even then, she had second thoughts about the decision after swimming the leadoff leg in the 4x100m freestyle relay on day one in Paris after Sweden came fifth.

The World record holder showed she still has what it takes as she swept to her second gold medal at the age of 30, eight years after winning the 100m butterfly at the Rio Olympics.

Sjostrom had plenty of ground to make up at the turn but put in a sizzling final 50 metres, sweeping down lane seven to touch the wall in 52.16 seconds at La Defense Arena, 0.13 seconds ahead of Huske.

After straining to see the result, she screamed in delight and punched the water.

• THE OLYMPICS, 2024