2026 FRENCH ELITE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Leon Marchand has pulled out of the final three days of competition at the 2026 French Elite Championships due to an adductor injury picked up during the heats of the 200 breast. He felt pain during the third 50 of the event, and while he did finish the full 200 his final split of 38.70 was clear indication of an issue.
The hip adductor is a group of muscles used primarily in bringing the thighs together. In breaststroke, this will most often flare in the insweep at the end of the kick. In other strokes this would affect hip stabilization and therefore both body position and kick power.
Marchand won the 400 IM in a blistering 4:04.56 on the first day of the meet, the fifth-fastest time in history and his fastest outside of a major championship. With his goal having been sub-4:08, expectations were high heading into the rest of the meet.
He was entered in a further five events; the 200 breast, 200 free, 200 IM, 400 free, and 200 fly. He is the reigning world champion and world record holder in the 200 IM, and the reigning Olympic champion and Olympic record holder in both the 200 breast and 200 fly.
Bob Bowman, Marchand’s coach at Texas where he trains, did state in mid-April that he had not been training much breaststroke. He has swum the 200 breast three times this season, clocking 2:09.72, 2:10.06, and 2:09.04, all under the 2:10.32 required for him to qualify for the European Championships.
This meet was to be one of the first selection meets where Marchand branched out from his specialist IM, 200 fly, and 200 breast schedule, having added the two mid-distance free events. He clocked 3:44.70 in the 400 free at the U.S. Open in December, the second-fastest swim in French history, and has split 1:44-point on the 4×200 free relay at worlds in both 2023 (1:44.89) and 2025 (1:44.34).
After the injury yesterday, the French swimming federation had announced that Marchand would be assessed again this morning before a decision was made on his continued participation at the meet. His spot on the European Championships team is not in doubt, given he has already qualified in one event and there are two potential avenues for him to add events to his schedule.
Under Section 3 of the French selection criteria, a swimmer may enter an additional event at the European Championships provided that they have already qualified individually, and that they have achieved the qualifying standard between June 16, 2025, and July 2, 2026.
However, this must be done at a FFN-recognised event, and the only meet of that standard that Marchand has swum in that timeframe was the World Championships last summer, where he swam the 200 IM and 400 IM.
Section 5.3 does allow for exemptions from the qualification process, to be granted by the National Team Director. This is the most likely avenue to add events for him, given it is unlikely that there are four European Championships qualifiers in any of the events which he has pulled out of.
Leon Marchand’s Press Release
“Léon is forced to withdraw from the rest of the 2026 French Championships due to pain in his right adductor during the 200-meter breaststroke heats.
During the third 50 meters of his heat, Léon felt a sharp pain in the adductor major of his right leg. Although initial examinations (ultrasound and MRI) did not reveal any major abnormalities, a lesion is suspected.
In order to avoid any aggravation and to preserve his health, Léon has decided, in agreement with his technical and medical staff, not to continue the competition. Léon will now be taken care of at INSEP by the French team doctor for additional examinations and follow-up.”
A lesion would be either a strain, tear, or rupture of the adductor muscle, however the latter of those seems unlikely given the negative results returned by ultrasound and MRI. A grade I strain would come with an expectation of 1-3 weeks recovery, with a grade II strain having a longer 3-8 week recovery time, although it is unclear currently what category Marchand’s injury is.* The focus for him now will be recovering in time for his first European Championships this summer, which begins in approximately six weeks.
That will be a home championships held at the Paris Aquatics Center, which hosted artistic swimming, water polo, and diving at the 2024 Olympic Games. Marchand is the second French star with injury problems heading into the meet, with 50 fly and 100 fly world champion Maxime Grousset also sidelined currently with a foot injury.
*Thanks to RipRoomZoom in the comments
