The 2024 German Swimming Championships, also serving as the Olympic Trials, kicked off in Berlin with an impressive performance by Lukas Maertens in the men’s 400 freestyle. Maertens posted a time of 3:40.33, which is currently the fastest time in the World this season. This time placed him ahead of Australian swimmers Elijah Winnington and Sam Short, who previously held the top two spots with times of 3:41.41 and 3:41.64 respectively.
Maertens had previously been ranked #4 in the World this season after swimming a 3:42.96 at the 2024 World Championships in Doha back in February. His performance at the German Championships not only marked a personal best but also positioned him as a serious contender for the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics.
While Maertens has made significant strides in the 400 freestyle event, he has been a consistent presence on the podium at major competitions in recent years. Winning bronze in both the 2023 and 2024 World Championships, as well as silver in 2022, Maertens has shown steady improvement. However, his performance at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics was less successful as he failed to advance to the final.
In addition to being the fastest time in the World this season, Maertens’ time in the 400 freestyle was also just shy of Paul Biedermann’s World Record of 3:40.07 set in 2009. Maertens now ranks as the #4 performer all-time in the event, setting the stage for an exciting competition at the Olympics. With his impressive performance at the German Championships, Maertens is poised to make a splash on the global stage in the months to come.