“Evidence of Western decline” – Leon Marchand caught ‘ignoring’ Chinese coach’s handshake stirring controversy at Paris Olympics

Leon Marchand’s yet another historic performance gets shadowed by his attitude toward a Chinese coach stirring controversy online.

“Evidence of Western decline” – Leon Marchand caught ‘ignoring’ Chinese coach’s handshake stirring controversy at Paris Olympics

Leon Marchand [Image Credit: The Sun/X]

French swimmer Leon Marchand recently grabbed social media attention but not in a favorable way. After getting caught on camera for ignoring a handshake from Chinese coach Zhi Zhigen fans have been negatively affected by it. Especially comments regarding this incident on Weibo, a Chinese platform, were far from polite.

The 22-year-old left everyone in awe after seemingly effortlessly winning the 200-meter individual medley at the Paris Olympics. He held up four fingers, gesturing at his gold medal wins in the 2024 Olympics so far. 

YouTube video

Apart from his seizing the first place, Britain’s Duncan Scott came second, and China’s Wang Shun grabbed third place. It was Wang’s coach who offered a handshake to congratulate Leon Marchand after the win.

However, in the video, it was caught that Marchand went past the security rope and did not reciprocate it. Although it’s not sure if he exchanged pleasantries in between, but the incident caught fans off guard, who were cherishing the French swimmer’s win.

Social media reacts as Leon Marchand ‘ignores’ Chinese coach’s handshake

Fans were fuming on social media after Leon Marchand was allegedly seen ignoring a Chinese coach’s handshake. He seemingly brushed past his rival coach irking fans online, and shadowing his own gold medal achievement.

Leon Marchand [Image Credit: NPR]
Leon Marchand [Image Credit: NPR]

One fan even said that his actions showcased the decline of Western culture. The X user noted, “Yet more evidence of Western decline, in this case cultural”. Another added, “Leon Marchand ignores a Chinese coach’s handshake after the medal ceremony…bad sportsmanship! Shame!”

Despite his awe-striking performance at the Paris Olympics in the 400m medley, 200m butterfly, and 200m breaststroke, this one incident has stirred controversy. His performance and talent have also been compared to swimming legends Michael Phelps and Mark Spitz.  

In case you missed: