OMEGA Welcomes Léon Marchand and David Popovici As Swimming Brand Ambassadors
With the World Aquatics Championships taking place this July in Fukuoka, Japan, the event’s Official Timekeeper, OMEGA, is welcoming two new ambassadors to its impressive sporting family. Léon Marchand and David Popovici are two young swimmers who have already achieved huge success in their respective events. Both are record holders, with a number of titles to their names, yet there is still clearly more to come from these dynamic athletes.
Speaking about the new collaboration, Raynald Aeschlimann, President and CEO of OMEGA, says, “Both Léon and David perfectly represent the values of precision and excellence in swimming. They’re already powering their way to the very top, and we’re so excited to follow their progress and support them on their sporting journey.”
Having competed at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, Léon Marchand really caught the globe’s attention at the 2022 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. At that tournament, the French phenomenon claimed two gold medals (in the 200m and 400m Individual Medley events) as well as a silver (in the 200m butterfly). This included a new long course European Record in the 400m Individual Medley, which he set in a time of 4:04.28.
He says, “OMEGA has a really special history in swimming. Every athlete admires the quality they bring to timekeeping and the trust they’ve created. I feel proud to be associated with that iconic name and it’s an honour to be part of the OMEGA family.”
Known as a prodigy in the pool, Romanian swimmer David Popovici is the double reigning World Champion and the World Record holder in the 100m freestyle. At the 2022 World Aquatics Championships, he won gold in his two signature events (100m and 200m freestyle), becoming the first swimmer since 1973 to achieve such a double, earning him the title of Male Swimmer of the Year.
He says, “I love what OMEGA represents. They’ve been a really dedicated supporter of swimming for almost 100 years and they are so committed to getting every detail right. There are some amazing swimmers who are part of the brand and I feel quite privileged to be part of that.’
OMEGA’s heritage in swimming stretches back to 1932, when the brand first fulfilled the role of Official Timekeeper at the Olympic Games. That deep involvement has now grown into a passion, and throughout the years, the brand has developed some of the most important timing technologies in the sport, including the famous touchpads at the ends of the pool. OMEGA has also proudly served as the Official Timekeeper of World Aquatics since 1973 (then known as FINA), when the federation’s first ever World Championships took place. As well as timekeeping, OMEGA partners with many of swimming’s most recognised athletes, including Michael Phelps, Caeleb Dressel, Chad le Clos, Kaylee McKeown, Federica Pellegrini, Tom Dean, and many more.