In Nanterre, France, just after the resounding rendition of the French national anthem by thousands in the La Defense arena, Leon Marchand surged ahead of the competition in the final of the men’s 400-meter individual medley.

“It was an incredible moment for me,” Marchand expressed post-race, celebrating his first Olympic gold at 22. “I was truly living in the moment.”

Marchand, who competed for Arizona State University and now lives in Austin, Texas, dominated the event which combines freestyle, back, breast and butterfly strokes.

At times during the race Marchand was so far ahead he seemed to be swimming in a different pool.

In a sport where victories are often razor-thin, he touched the wall more than five seconds ahead of Japan’s Tomoyuki Matsushita, who took silver.

The finish of 4:02:95 was strong enough to set a new Olympic record, shattering the mark set by Michael Phelps in 2008 at the Beijing Games.

Marchand, with his boyish good looks, has emerged as a national icon of these Paris Olympics. After his win Sunday night, French President Emmanuel Macron called to offer congratulations.

Bob Bowman coached Marchand at ASU before he turned pro this spring and helped prepare him for these Olympics.

“That was a great swim,” he said, describing Marchand as the best ever in this event. “He can swim faster than that. He’s got the speed, he’s got the endurance.”

American swimmer Carson Foster also turned in a strong performance in the medley final to capture an upset bronze medal.

“I haven’t had good races in big moments, so tonight just felt good,” Foster said.