The Magdeburg Lukas Märtens is the first person who took less than 3:40 minutes over 400 meters freestyle. The MDR talked to the record man.
Lukas Märtens is very relaxed in a Stockholm hotel. The sun blinks through the window and shines with the Magdeburg record swimmer. The 23-year-old is no longer “only” Olympic champion, but for three days too World record holder.
The record remains in Saxony-Anhalt
Märtens broke the almost 16 -year -old record of the Halle Paul Biedermann over 400 meters freestyle. At the Swim Open in Stockholm, he struck 3: 39.96 minutes and was eleven hundredths of a second faster than Biedermann 2009. The record remains in Saxony-Anhalt, although Märtens has not yet properly performed his extraordinary performance. “It will take some time,” he said with a wide grin on his face.
Lukas Märtens after his world record over 400m in freestyle in Stockholm.
He did not expect to swim world record at all, says Märtens. Not even during the race. “Of course I noticed that I was on the road, but I didn’t notice that I was so fast.” Märtens did not notice his record even after the attack. However, his team -mate Oliver Klemet is already. “I actually only realized it when Oliver said that I was swimming world record,” reports Märtens from the seconds after the attack.
Berkhahn: “It has everything adapted to each other “
Coach Bernd Berkhahn was happy on the edge of the pelvis for his protégé and attributed the top performance to the training. “He has been able to train consistently and continuously for the past three weeks.” But: “You can’t predict such a world record. Everything fit in Stockholm. Form, races, pelvis. The competition basin in Stockholm is tiled and consistently 2.70 m deep, so far lower than in Paris and also faster, explained Berkhahn.
Märtens for a few weeks
The pool was only a small mosaic stone as a whole. Much more important: Märtens has been in top shape for a few weeks and can train every day. That was not always the case in the past. Again and again he was thrown back by small infections, so it even underwent a nose operation in autumn last year.
Märtens does not believe whether this, similar to biathlon world champion Franziska Preuß, was in the end. “I still take a lot of nasal spray to get my nose free. I have done the operation in the long term for the future.”
Meeting with Biedermann planned
In the short term, there should finally be a meeting with the dethroned Paul Biedermann. Both were at least in contact after the race. “He wrote to me and is mega-dolz. I couldn’t see him yet, but you could do that now,” said Märtens, who was banging Biedermann as a child and is now faster than his idol.
SST
