France’s Leon Marchand will compete in his home country for the first time since winning four golds at the Paris 2024 Olympics when he takes part in the French Championships that start in Saint Etienne tomorrow.

The 24-year-old from Toulouse is entered for six events in the meeting that will run until Thursday, July 2 and which serves as a qualifier for the European Aquatics Championships Paris 2026.

Marchand is due to take part in the four events where he earned Olympic gold in the French capital – the 200 breaststroke, 200 butterfly, 200m and 400m individual medley.

His name is also down for the 200 freestyle and 400 freestyle although it remains to be seen how much of that programme he will contest.

The US-based athlete, who returned to the National Institute of Sport, Expertise and Performance (INSEP) in Paris earlier this month to train for this competition, is considering dropping one of his flagship events in order to accommodate a freestyle event.

His programme is likely to be replicated at the EA Championships swimming that will take place in the Olympic Aquatics Centre from August 10 to 16.

“It’s always a bit scary because there’s not much to gain but a lot to lose,” Marchand said at a press conference.

“We’re going to have to do some qualifying times, so it’s always a bit difficult.

“I’m trying to prepare 100% for the European Championships and not necessarily for the French Championships, to try to really be at my maximum potential at the European Championships.

“There is a balance to be found, because the qualifying times are still very difficult. You have to be in shape, but without being in maximum shape.

“For the European Championships, I really want to see where I can go in the races I choose.

“I’d like to do the 400m freestyle but it’s the same day as the 200m medley, so there’s going to be a choice to make,” he added.

 Marchand’s presence has prompted a sell-out of tickets in St Etienne, although spectators will miss the experience of seeing another world champion, Maxime Grousset, in action.

Grousset, who won the 50m and 100m butterfly at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, will miss the national championships after breaking a bone in his left foot during training two weeks ago.

All three backstroke events will feature Yohann Ndoye-Brouard, who teamed up with Marchand, Grousset and Florent Manaudou to win Olympic men’s 4x100m medley bronze in 2024 and who earned 100m and 200m backstroke bronze at last year’s World Championships.

Beryl Gastaldello is the top seed in the women’s 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle while Marie Wattel figures will be in the thick of the action in the women’s 50m freestyle, 50m butterfly and 100m butterfly.

Meanwhile Romania’s 21-year-old European Aquatics Male Swimmer of 2025, David Popovici, is competing at this weekend’s Sette Colli International in Rome, where he produced some of the finest performances of his career so far.

The Olympic 200m freestyle champion, who won world gold at that event and the 100m freestyle last year, is entered at both those distances and at 50m as he prepares for this summer’s defence of the 100m and 200m freestyle titles he won at Belgrade in 2024.

One leading European performer who will not be taking part in the Paris 2026 Championships is Spain’s US-based Carles Coli Marti, the world short course 200m breaststroke champion, who is unable to compete in championships this summer due to visa issues.

Mike Rowbottom for European Aquatics