At the Paris Olympics, France swimmer Léon · Marchand was in the spotlight.
Not only did he win a lot of attention with his four gold medals and one bronze medal, but he also sparked a series of controversies and discussions.
The United States questioned his results and conducted a surprise urine test, but the test showed a number of problems.
On July 29, Marchand had just won the gold medal in the men's 400m medley, and his face was full of excitement and exhaustion.
After a tense and exciting competition, he finally stood on the podium and felt the congratulations and applause around him.
Winning the gold medal meant a lot to him, but the accolade didn't put him at ease, as the anti-doping inspectors began their assault shortly afterward.
Within six hours of the competition, the anti-doping organization sent inspectors to conduct a random inspection of the athletes in the Olympic Village.
Marchand, of course, became their main target.
Inspectors had expected to find him in the Olympic Village, and as is customary, such raids often work well.
They were disappointed, for Marchand was not in the village.
The truth of the matter is that Marchand has already applied to live in a small apartment near the competition venue.
The accommodation conditions in the Olympic Village are relatively simple, with cardboard beds and no air conditioning, which he finds unbearable.
In order to be at his best during the race, Marchand decided to live in an apartment outside, not only to get a better rest, but also to avoid the constant travel.
This choice is fully compliant, and he and his team have been updating their position with the Olympic Committee to ensure transparency and cooperation.
When inspectors were unable to find him, the situation began to get awkward.
Marchand's team immediately realized that the results of the raid could be interpreted as Marchand's deliberate evasion of detection.
They began to clarify the situation, explaining that Marchand had already taken a urine test after the match and that his accommodation arrangements were in full compliance with the regulations.
The inspectors' mistake was that they did not verify Marchand's actual address, an oversight that rendered their inspection meaningless.
This raid incident not only caused unnecessary trouble to Marchand, but also had a certain impact on his image.
In the face of media and public skepticism, Marchand's team busily explained, trying to let everyone know the truth of the matter.
Marchand himself felt helpless.
He had tried his best to accommodate all the testing requests, but he was embroiled in controversy because of the mistakes of others.
While the turmoil had not yet subsided, on August 3, Marchand was embroiled in another controversy after the men's 200m individual medley final.
This time he ignored the congratulatory gesture of Chinese coach Zhu Zhigen and bypassed him directly.
While waiting in the award area, Coach Zhu tried to shake hands with Marchand, but was ignored by Marchand.
The episode sparked discontent among Chinese netizens, who thought Marchand's behavior appeared very arrogant.
In particular, France President Emmanuel Macron shook hands with Chinese athlete Wang Shun on another occasion, in sharp contrast, adding to the fermentation of controversy.
Faced with the fierce reaction of Chinese netizens, Marchand and his team decided to take the initiative to solve the problem.
They are aware that the negative impact of this incident may continue to ferment, especially since it has been widely discussed on social media.
So, Marchand and the team contacted the Chinese team, especially Coach Zhu Zhigen, to express their sincere apologies and explain the situation in detail.
When Marchand met Coach Zhu, his tone was very sincere.
He apologized to Coach Zhu, explaining that he did not deliberately ignore his congratulations, but that he had misunderstood the coach's intentions because of the complexity of the situation at the time.
He said that he was exhausted after the game, and when he saw Coach Zhu's outstretched hand, he thought he wanted to help him pull the drawstring of the court, rather than extending his hand to congratulate.
Marchand stressed that he fully respects Coach Zhu and is very grateful for his contribution to Chinese swimming, and does not want to offend anyone.
The Chinese team also showed understanding of this.
After Coach Zhu Zhigen listened to Marchand's explanation, the expression on his face gradually softened.
He nodded in understanding, and admitted that it was just a misunderstanding.
Other members of the Chinese team also believe that although Marchand's behavior is a bit embarrassing, it does not mean that he is disrespectful to the Chinese team.
On social media, netizens reacted differently to the apology.
Some expressed understanding, believing that everyone can make mistakes under pressure, and that Marchand's willingness to apologize is worthy of respect.
For example, a netizen said: This matter is really a misunderstanding, Marchand's attitude is very sincere, and everyone doesn't have to pursue it anymore.
Some netizens also sighed: This misunderstanding is indeed unpleasant, but seeing Marchand take the initiative to solve the problem, I feel sincere.
Netizens' opinions on Marchand are divided into several camps, each with different voices.
The discussion on social media quickly got to a hot end, with both support and criticism.
Some netizens expressed their understanding of Marchand's apology.
They felt that there would inevitably be tension and misunderstandings on the pitch, especially for Marchand, who might not be in good shape after the game.
A netizen named Xiao Li commented: I think this is really a misunderstanding, and Marchand must have been a little tired at the time. After all, the game has just ended, and everyone is busy. Marchand later apologized, indicating that he was serious about the matter and that we should not pursue it further.
Other netizens were dissatisfied with Marchand's attitude, believing that his initial behavior was not respectful enough.
Xiao Zhang posted in the discussion forum, saying: Although Marchand explained, it really makes people feel uncomfortable to see him ignore Coach Zhu's behavior. In particular, Coach Zhu has a high status in the Chinese swimming world, and Marchand should pay more attention to his actions.
There were also netizens who discussed the issue of cultural differences.
Xiao Wang mentioned that this kind of thing may really be a misunderstanding caused by cultural differences. In different countries, the way athletes and coaches interact with each other may not be the same. Marchand may not treat coaches like this in France, but in Chinese culture, such behavior would seem disrespectful.
Some netizens also expressed their attitude towards Marchand's apology.
A netizen named Xiao Liu said: I think Marchand's apology is very sincere, although the initial behavior makes people feel a little embarrassed, he is willing to take the initiative to solve the problem, which shows that he has the ability to self-reflect. As an athlete, he is still very young and should be given some time to grow.
These incidents not only exposed certain flaws in anti-doping testing, but also reflected cultural differences between athletes.
Marchand's apology, while resolving the misunderstanding with the Chinese team, is also a reminder that athletes face not only the pressure of competition on the international stage, but also complex cultural and public opinion challenges.
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