In a sensational performance at the Stockholm Open, Olympic champion Lukas Maertens of Germany made history by breaking the men’s 400-meter freestyle world record, which had stood unchallenged since 2009.
Maertens clocked an impressive 3 minutes 39.96 seconds, shaving 0.11 seconds off the previous record set by fellow German Paul Biedermann.
The 23-year-old swimmer’s achievement marked a significant moment in the sport’s history, as the previous record was set using a now-banned polyurethane swimsuit. Maertens has continuously impressed the swimming world, securing Olympic gold in Paris last year and achieving a personal best of 3:40.33 at the 2024 German Championships prior to this groundbreaking performance.
This milestone reinforces Maertens’ position as one of the most formidable competitors in modern swimming, cementing his name in the annals of the sport.
