Swim Open in Stockholm
Lukas Märtens breaks sensational world record over 400 meters freestyle
What a performance: Lukas Märtens was the first swimmer in the world to achieve the 400 meter freestyle under 3:40 minutes. The historical result surprised the Olympic champion himself.
He was already the Olympic champion, now Lukas Märtens is celebrating the next milestone of his swimming career: the 23-year-old broke Paul Biedermann’s almost 16-year-old world record over 400 meters freestyle. Märtens struck the Swim Open from Stockholm after 3: 39.96 minutes and amazed the experts. The Magdeburger was eleven hundredths of a second faster than Biedermann at his record in summer 2009.
Particularly crazy: Märtens did not undercut the time at the long -standing highlight of the season, but in the first international competition since the 2024 Olympics. He had traveled directly from a three -week altitude training camp in the Sierra Nevada.
Lukas Märtens is amazed, Biedermann congratulates
“I felt good after the altitude training camp and knew that I was in shape – but I really didn’t expect such a time,” he said. “The world record came as a surprise, I have to let it sink.”
Biedermann also congratulated. “Congratulations: What a blatant performance! I am very pleased that the record in Saxony-Anhalt will stay!” Wrote the former top athlete from Halle on the Saale on Instagram.
Märtens once again underlined his exceptional class with the record-and that it can also be expected in the Nach-Olympic season. The football fan and perfume lover has developed into the German team’s great swimmer.
His trainer is also surprised
2022, 2023 and 2024 won the protégé of long-distance national coach Bernd Berkhahn at the World Championships. At the summer games of Paris, the crowning glory followed: gold over 400 meters freestyle. Even then, Märtens had the world record in mind. It didn’t work in 3: 41.78 minutes. “It is afraid for me whether it has fallen or not,” he said at the time. Now he also fulfilled this dream.
“Lukas swam into a frenzy here. With a time like this, you couldn’t actually count here,” said Berkhahn.
Even his super swimmer does not get setbacks out of the concept. Märtens had to stop longer last autumn. In order to get rid of repeating nasal sinus problems again and again, he let himself be operated on his nose twice.
With his historical time, he has now put an initiation sign towards the World Championships. At the highlight of the season at the end of July and early August in Singapore, the Magdeburger is one of the very big favorites.
Dpa
TIS / Thomas Eßer
Source: Stern
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