Lukas Merten Breaks Historic World Record in 400m Freestyle

One of the oldest records in swimming was shattered on Sunday (April 12, 2025) in Stockholm during the Stockholm Open by the astonishing Lukas Merten. The German swimmer became the first in history to break the 3 minutes and 40 seconds barrier in the 400m freestyle, finishing with a time of 3:39.96. This incredible achievement saw him surpassing the previous record set by fellow German Paul Biedermann, who clocked 3:40.07 back in 2009 during the World Championships in Rome, an era known for advanced swimsuits now banned from competition.