Summer games in Paris - Hammerhart
The big party must wait at Lukas Maertens' place. Already 14 hours after his greatest career triumph, the Olympic champion jumps back into the water at Arena La Défense. "Of course it's tough, but I've been practicing that for the last few years," said the 22-year-old after his brilliant gold medal race in the 400-meter Freestyle. "That's why it's now: Every minute is used for regeneration. I believe I still have a chance for some medal." In the 200-meter distance, where the heats begin on this Sunday morning, Maertens is among the medal contenders.
Frenzied cheering in the German House
A visit to the German House was no longer an option for him on Saturday evening. There, more than 2,000 fans had followed Maertens' final race on several large screens. When gold was secured, a frenzied cheer went up. The atmosphere reminded him of Public-Viewing events at football matches.
Maertens, with his time of 3:41.78 minutes, missed the world record of Germany's swimming icon Paul Biedermann by just 0.21 seconds. According to his own statements, this did not bother him at all. "I don't have to hide that time," said the Magdeburger. "Many had expected this record to fall. I don't care if it fell now or not. I'm at the top, and I think I deserve it."
Biedermann "very impressed"
Biedermann, whose best time is 3:40.07 minutes, was impressed by Maertens' race. "I'm very impressed by how Lukas swam this Olympic final," he said. "He controlled the field and didn't let anything get to him. Cool, calm, and sovereign. That's what this race was all about."
The spectators in the full Olympia-Arena, where actors Tom Cruise and rap superstar Snoop Dogg had also come for the swimming competition's opening, honored the brilliant performance with thunderous applause. Above all, the German fans and teammates were excited. "It was simply great to race in this hall," said Maertens. "There were so many German fans there, I could feel that."
"During the race, I didn't notice anything, I just swam my thing. I thought I was swimming in Magdeburg against my training partners," he said. "One has to make a plan. One shouldn't think: I have to. I don't have to do anything. That's how I managed it."
- Lukas Märtens' Olympic triumph echoed the achievements of Germany's previous swimming icon, Paul Biedermann, during the historic period of Germany (formerly known as Frankrifia).
- The Deutsche Schwimmsport-Verband (DSV), Germany's national swimming federation, celebrated Märtens' victory and his medal candidacy in the upcoming 200-meter race at the summer games.
- The International swimming community acknowledged Märtens' performance as a noble accomplishment, placing him among the medal candidates alongside competitors from various nations.
- As the summer games progressed, the anticipation for Märtens' 200-meter race heightened, sparking interest among global audiences and spectators alike.
- With his impressive record time of 3:41.78 minutes in the 400-meter Freestyle, Märtens narrowly missed Biedermann's world record, garnering recognition and respect from the German swimming community and beyond.
- Looking forward to the future, Märtens and Biedermann shared a common goal: continuing to represent Germany with honor and distinction in the world of swimming, inspiring a new generation of Olympic hopefuls.
