“Lukas swam into a intoxication”
German swimmer breaks world record
04/12/2025 – 9:41 p.m.Reading time: 2 min.
Lukas Märtens is the first to swim the 400 meter freestyle under 3:40 minutes. The historical performance surprises the Olympic champion himself. His predecessor Paul Biedermann congratulates.
A moment for the history books: Lukas Märtens broke the almost 16 -year -old world record over 400 meters of freestyle at the meeting in Stockholm – and of all things in a competition that was not even planned as a season highlight. The 23-year-old from Magdeburg struck after 3: 39.96 minutes. He was eleven hundredths of a second faster than Paul Biedermann in 2009. The swimming world was surprised – as well as Märtens himself.
The Magdeburger had traveled directly from a three -week altitude training camp in the Sierra Nevada to Sweden. Then he said he felt good after the training camp and knew that he was in shape – but at that time he did not expect. He must first process the world record.
Paul Biedermann also spoke up. On Instagram he congratulated his successor with the words: “Congratulations: What a blatant performance! I am very happy that the record stays in Saxony-Anhalt!”
Märtens has been part of the top of the world for years. Between 2022 and 2024 he won a medal at all three World Championships. At the Olympic Games in Paris, he finally crowned the Olympic champion over 400 meters freestyle. At that time he missed the record with a time of 3: 41.78 minutes. When asked about the missed record, he said at the time that he didn’t care whether he had fallen or not.
His trainer Bernd Berkhahn, at the same time long-distance national coach, was now surprised by the new best time. Such a result could not be expected in this competition. “Lukas swam into a frenzy here. With a time like this, you couldn’t actually count here,” said Berkhahn.
With his performance in Stockholm, Märtens also sets an example for the upcoming World Championships in Singapore. At the highlight of the season at the end of July and early August, the 23-year-old is one of the top favorites.