ELITE FRANCE CHAMPIONSHIP 2026
Leon Marchand pulled out of the final three days of competition at the 2026 French Elite Championships with an adductor injury sustained during the 200-pound event. He felt pain during the third 50m, and although he finished the full 200m, his final score of 38.70 was a clear sign of trouble.
The hip adductor muscle is a group of muscles that is used primarily to bring the hips closer together. In breaststroke, this most often occurs during the rise at the end of the kick. In other strokes this will affect hip stabilization and therefore body position and impact force.
Marchand won the 400 IM in a stunning 4:04.56 on the first day of competition, fifth-fastest ever and his best outside of a major championship. With his goal under 4:08, expectations were high for the remainder of the competition.
He competed in five more competitions; 200 chest, 200 free, 200 IM, 400 free and 200 fly. He is the reigning world champion and world record holder in the 200m, and the reigning Olympic champion and Olympic record holder in the 200m breaststroke and 200m freestyle.
Bob Bowman, Marchand’s coach in Texas, where he trains, said in mid-April that he hasn’t done much breaststroke training. He has swam the 200m breast three times this season, clocking 2:09.72, 2:10.06 and 2:09.04, all short of the 2:10.32 required to qualify for the European Championships.
This meet was to be one of the first qualifying meets in which Marchand departed from his dedicated IM, 200 fly and 200 breast schedule by adding two middle distance free events. He clocked 3:44.70 in the 4×200 free relay at the US Open in December, the second-fastest swim in French history, and split 1:44 in the 4×200 free relay at both the 2023 (1:44.89) and 2025 (1:44.34) world championships.
Following yesterday’s injury, the French swimming federation announced that Marchand would be tested again this morning before a decision was made on his continued participation in the competition. His place on the European Championship team is not in doubt as he has already qualified in one event and he has two potential ways to add competition to his schedule.
According to section 3 of the French selection criteria, a swimmer may participate in additional European Championship competitions provided that he has already qualified individually and met the qualifying standard between 16 June 2025 and 2 July 2026.
However, this must be done at an event recognized by the FFN, and the only competition of this standard that Marchand has swum in this time period was last summer’s World Championships, where he swam the 200mm and 400mm distances.
Section 5.3 allows for exceptions from the qualification process to be granted by the National Team Director. This is the most likely way to add tournaments for him, as it is unlikely that there will be four European Championship qualifiers in any of the tournaments he has withdrawn from.
Press release from Leon Marchand
“Leon is forced to withdraw from the remainder of the 2026 French Championships due to pain in his right adductor muscle during the 200m breaststroke.
On the third 50 meters of the race, Leon felt a sharp pain in the adductor magnus muscle of his right leg. Although initial examinations (ultrasound and MRI) did not reveal any major abnormalities, a lesion is suspected.
In order to avoid aggravation and to preserve his health, Leon decided, in consultation with his technical and medical staff, not to continue the competition. Leon will now be under the care of the French team doctor at INSEP for additional examinations and follow-up.”
The injury could be a sprain, tear, or tear of the adductor muscle, but the latter seems unlikely given the negative findings on ultrasound and MRI. The Grade I strain is expected to recover within 1-3 weeks, while the Grade II strain is expected to have a longer recovery period of 3-8 weeks, although it is currently unclear what category Marchand’s injury falls into.* The focus for him now will be recovery for his first European Championships this summer, which starts in about six weeks.
It will be a home championship, taking place at the Paris Aquatics Centre, which hosted artistic swimming, water polo and diving at the 2024 Olympics. Marchand is the second French star to have injury problems ahead of the competition. World 50 and 100 champion Maxime Grousset is also currently sidelined with a foot injury.
*Thanks to RipRoomZoom in the comments.