Lukas Maertens Enjoyed Banner Year, Highlighted by Venture to Previously Unvisited Territory
The highlight of Lukas Maertens‘ season is obvious. It arrived in April, when the German star raced at the Swim Open Stockholm and took down Paul Biedermann’s 15-year-old world record in the 400-meter freestyle. Behind a performance of 3:39.96, the 23-year-old Maertens became the first man in history to crack the 3:40 barrier in the event, and cemented his status as its curret king.
Maertens’ global standard came on the heels of his most significant title, earned at the 2024 Olympic Games. In Paris, Maertens delivered a wire-to-wire triumph on the biggest stage in the sport, beating Australian Elijah Winnington by .43. His world record in the Swedish capital accounted for the second jewel of the career Triple Crown, which Maertens completed at last summer’s World Championships in Singapore.
But the German’s talent is hardly limited to the 400 freestyle.
Over the past 12 months, Maertens also excelled in the 200 freestyle and 800 freestyle, and used the 100 freestyle and 200 backstroke to demonstrate his underappreciated versatility. In addition to establishing a world record, Maertens ranked third on the planet in the 200 freestyle (1:44.25) and held the same slot in the 800 freestyle, thanks to a mark of 7:39.10. For good measure, he recorded a 48.88 outing in the 100 freestyle and was a German-best 1:56.00 in the 200 backstroke.
What will 2026 bring for Maertens? Further meetings with Australians Winnington and Sam Short will be put on hold for a year, as the global schedule is largely regionalized. Yet, Maertes will remain tested in European waters, specifically by his fellow countrymen. In the 400 freestyle, Oliver Klemet has been 3:43, while the 800 freestyle features sigificant depth in the form of Klemet (7:44.61), Sven Schwarz (7:38.12) and Florian Wellbrock (7:41.12). Meanwhile, teenager Johannes Liebmann is a rising star.
Maertens’ ledger shows a pair of medals from the European Champs, gold in the 400 freestyle and silver in the 800 freestyle from the 2022 edition in Rome. Perhaps 2026 will provide an opportunity for Maertens to pursue podium finishes from the 200 through the 800. He obviously has the range and testing himself at Euros could offer a glimpse into what the German star is thinking on the path to LA28.
Regardless of the approach adopted by Maertens for the coming year, his 2025 will be remembered fondly. World records do not come along often, and the German’s standard was special, as he lifted the lid to new territory. He also completed the career Triple Crown, complementing his Olympic crown and global record with a world title.
Yes, it was a superb start to the new Olympic Quad.
