Ex-Arizona State star Leon Marchand is ready for his moment swimming for France at Paris Olympics

BERKELEY, Calif. — They suddenly began chanting in unison, calling for Leon Marchand to swim once more. Arizona State would later defeat two-time defending national champion Cal for the program’s first NCAA title just a couple of months later with Marchand again leading the way. Technically sound in every stroke, Marchand was named the College Swimming Coaches Association of America Men’s Swimmer of the Year for a third straight season, while Bowman earned Coach of the Year honors for the first time in his career before leaving to take over the program at Texas. I just trust him, trust the process and trying to work harder and harder every day to get ready.” Bowman has observed Marchand’s maturity from the day he arrived in Arizona to now. “He was pretty independent when he came, but each successive year it’s been fun to see him grow as a man, as an athlete and he’s very serious about the swimming.” After that record-setting 400 IM last July in Japan, Marchand seemed to surprise even himself, calling it “insane, one of the most painful things I’ve done.” But he did offer one more message in that moment for the swimming world sure to be keenly watching this summer: “The best is yet to come.” ___ AP video journalist Davidde Corran contributed to this report.