Olympic hero Marchand’s Japanese headache gets another name at Asiad 2026

Leon Marchand arrived at Tokyo’s Asian Games pool with two Japanese swimmers in mind as leading threats to his title ambitions at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics: individual medley star Tomoyuki Matsushita and breaststroke sensation Shin Ohashi.

The French Olympic champion, who won four individual golds at Paris 2024, had already watched Matsushita win the 200m individual medley and praised 17-year-old Ohashi after his 100m breaststroke triumph.

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Marchand had previously described Matsushita and Ohashi as the Japanese rivals most likely to trouble him in Los Angeles. He called racing them “scary” and admitted he was “very scared” of Ohashi.

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Joint gold medallist Japan's Shin Ohashi celebrates after winning the men's 100m breaststroke final at the Asian Games in Tokyo on September 21, 2026. Photo: Reuters

During a break between Tuesday’s morning heats and evening finals, Marchand gave a swimming clinic to local children. Later, another 17-year-old Japanese teenager gave him an even closer look at the country’s growing talent.

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Leon Marchand speaks during swim clinic. Photo: Reuters

Yumeki Kojima surged past Matsushita in the 400m individual medley to win gold in an Asian Games record of 4min 07.02sec, topping the 12-year-old mark of Japan legend Kosuke Hagino. The victory also avenged his narrow 0.06-second defeat to Matsushita in Monday’s 200m medley.

“Right now, Marchand is the highest target that I’m aiming for,” Kojima said. “I want to keep getting closer to him, even if it’s little by little, and eventually surpass him.”

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Gold medallist Japan's Tomoyuki Matsushita celebrates after winning the men's 200m individual medley final along with silver medallist Japan's Yumeki Kojima at the Asian Games in Tokyo on September 20, 2026. Photo: Reuters

Marchand’s world record stands at 4:02.50, giving Kojima a clear target as he continues to develop. Matsushita responded to the result with maturity, calling it a valuable lesson for his training.

Ohashi, who won the 100m breaststroke in a dead heat with China’s Dong Zhihao, later helped Japan to silver in the 4x100m medley relay. He welcomed Marchand’s praise but insisted that admiration would only fuel his ambitions.

“I respect Leon Marchand. We are totally different types and he is an amazing athlete,” Ohashi said. “I want to keep improving my times so that I won’t lose to him at the Olympics.”

Marchand, who broke Michael Phelps’s long-standing world records in the 200m and 400m individual medleys, has every reason to remain alert.

The all-conquering Frenchman may have arrived in Tokyo with two Japanese swimmers on his radar, but left having seen a third demand his attention.