A rare Olympic scheduling change has paved the way for French swimming star Leon Marchand to compete in both the men's 200-meter butterfly and 200 breaststroke finals during the Paris Games.
The two finals were originally to take place back-to-back on July 31, but the latest competition schedule released in February by the Paris organizing committee has put four other events between them.
According to Le Monde newspaper, France's swimming governing body lobbied for the change to give the 21-year-old Marchand a chance of winning both events.
Le Monde quoted French technical director Julien Issoulie as saying the international federation had never encountered this problem because no previous swimmer had been in contention to win both the 200 breaststroke and the 200 butterfly at this level.
The schedule change, seen as benefiting a specific athlete, may raise questions of fairness.
"In general, swimmers are forced to pick one out of two to get a medal in a situation like this," said a senior Japan Swimming Federation official. "I'm sure there are things people want to say (about the schedule change)."
At last summer's world championships in Fukuoka, Marchand set the world record in the 400-meter individual medley while also claiming gold in the 200 IM and 200 butterfly.
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