French swimmer Marchand wins 2 Golds in 2 hours at Paris Olympics

France’s Léon Marchand completed one of the most audacious doubles in swimming history Wednesday night, winning the 200-meter butterfly and the 200 breaststroke about two hours apart in front of a home crowd cheering his every stroke.

Two grueling races. Two very different strokes. Two Olympic records. Two gold medals.

“I’m a really shy person,” Marchand said after the race.

“I was kind of the center of attention during those two races. I was trying to get the energy from the whole crowd. They’re amazing to me, pushing me in every final.”

Thrilling the French fans and claiming the spotlight even on a night when American Katie Ledecky romped to another gold medal, Marchand notched his second and third victories at La Defense Arena and stamped himself — with the Olympics not even a week old — as one of the faces of the Games.

After rallying to beat world-record holder and defending Olympic champion Kristóf Milák in the 200 fly with a finishing kick for the ages, Marchand made it look easy in the 200 breastroke.

For Afghan fans, Ariana Television will once again broadcast a number of Olympic events live on Thursday from 11:30am.

Today’s lineup includes sailing, canoeing, shooting, men’s hockey, cycling, boxing, and table tennis.

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