Leon Marchand Aims to Break Own 200 IM World Record

Leon Marchand is out to break his own world record in Thursday's 200-meter individual medley at the swimming world championships in Singapore.

He set the record on Wednesday in the semifinals at the worlds: 1 minute, 52.69 seconds, shattering the old mark of 1:54.00 held by American Ryan Lochte since 2011.

Marchand's victory is almost assured, with the only question being by how much he will win.

He will share the stage on Day 5 with Canada's Summer McIntosh, who will go for her third medal in Singapore.

McIntosh has already won gold in the 200 IM and 400 freestyle.

A four-time gold medalist a year ago in the Paris Olympics, Marchand is looking to continue his winning streak.

He will face competition from other top swimmers, including Yu Zidi, the 12-year-old Chinese swimmer, who is the eighth-fastest qualifier in the field.

The Americans have shots in other finals, including the men's 100 freestyle, where Jack Alexy and Romanian David Popovici were the quickest qualifiers.

Regan Smith has the quickest time in the 50 backstroke, followed closely by Lauren Cox of Britain, American Katharine Berkoff, and Wan Letian of China.

The last final of the day is the women's 4x200-meter freestyle relay.

Marchand's record attempt is the main event, with his time of 1:52.69 minutes on Wednesday setting the stage for a thrilling final.

The swimming world championships in Singapore have seen several records broken, and Marchand's attempt is expected to be one of the highlights of the event.

Head coach Greg Meehan has suggested that the team's health is improving, after a stomach bug picked up in training camp in Thailand affected several swimmers.

The United States has won only three gold medals in Singapore so far, and the team will be looking to add to that total.

Marchand's performance will be closely watched, as he attempts to break his own world record and cement his position as one of the top swimmers in the world.