Swimming: 'We are on the razor's edge,' Léon Marchand's condition still in question days before European Championships

French swimming sensation Léon Marchand is in a race against time to recover from a right adductor lesion, casting a shadow of uncertainty over his participation in the upcoming European Championships. The star swimmer, who has been undergoing treatment, is described by national technical director Denis Auguin as being "on the razor's edge," especially concerning his breaststroke technique.

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For Léon, we are always a bit on the razor's edge concerning everything to do with breaststroke.

"For Léon, we are always a bit on the razor's edge concerning everything to do with breaststroke," Auguin stated from the Vichy pool where the French team is training. The injury has prompted the team to be extremely cautious, particularly with the breaststroke's scissor kick motion. A final MRI scheduled for mid-next week is crucial to determine the extent of the injury and its potential impact on his competition schedule.

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You saw that the 200m breaststroke (on his program) is not there. It's not a coincidence. It doesn't mean it's not being treated. It's just that we don't want to take any risk of re-injury. We are still very cautious about all the breaststroke scissor kicks.

While a complete withdrawal is not currently anticipated, Marchand's program may undergo significant adjustments. He has already been withdrawn from the 200m breaststroke, a decision made to prevent any risk of re-injury. Questions also linger over his participation in the 200m and 400m individual medley events, which are early in the competition schedule. However, he is expected to compete in the 400m freestyle, a new challenge for him, and the 200m butterfly.

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For the moment, we are not at all proceeding on the basis of a withdrawal, but it is really the very last days, or even the last hours, that will give us the green light or not.

Auguin acknowledged the difficult timing of the injury, occurring between selection trials and the final competition. "It's obviously complex for him to discover an injury at a time like this, between the selections and then the final competition," he said. "It's also a learning experience, ultimately. We also need to progress on this front."

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It's obviously complex for him to discover an injury at a time like this, between the selections and then the final competition. It's also a learning experience, ultimately. We also need to progress on this front.