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| Leon Marchand finished less than half a second outside his world record time, set in Japan last year |
Frenchman Leon Marchand was a crowd pleaser when he set a new Olympic record, dominated the 400m and won gold at the indoor games.
The rising star is hoping for a top four gold in Paris, 5.67 seconds ahead of second-placed Tomoyuki Matsushita of Japan and American Carson Foster at the La Defense Arena.
Great Britain's Max Litchfield finished fourth in his third consecutive Olympics, but set a new British record of 4 minutes 8.85 seconds.
Marchand, 22, is one of the poster boys for playing these games that members of the party are bashing about. He fell short of his world record of , but beat the Olympic best previously set by Michael Phelps at the 2008 Beijing Games. A letter to the 59-year-old American before the last Olympics, when Phelps was there to witness the victory.
200 meter medley, 200 meter butterfly and 200 meter breaststroke.
Tickets to Marchand are like gold dust in Paris.
The French tricolor was waved as he entered the stadium, but the national anthem had been played long before, in anticipation of the final.
As Marchand's head rises above the water during the execution, the crowd chants "Allez" in unison.
There was a special atmosphere and noise when they reached the finish line, for the first time it was clear that they won another Olympic gold, ears opened.
As they rejoiced, a broken Litchfield lay in the pool with his head in his hands in another sad moment for England
