Current German Distance Freestyle Crew All Over All-Time World Rankings
The current state of German distance freestyle is phenomenal, as the country has produced an impressive collection of athletes from the 400-meter distance through the 1500. Of the five premier athletes in the German arsenal, four see each other on a daily basis, training in Magdeburg under the watch of coach Bernd Berkhahn.
While Lukas Märtens is the headliner for the Magdeburg group, thanks to his Olympic champion and world-record status, he is joined on the stacked deck by multi-time Olympic medalist Florian Wellbrock, Oliver Klemet and rising star Johannes Liebmann. Last week, Liebmann broke the European record in the 800 freestyle, going 7:37.94 at the Swim Open Stockholm. The other member of the Germany’s powerhouse distance contingent is Sven Schwarz, a former European-record holder in the 800 freestyle.
In the all-time 1500 freestyle rankings, all five of Germany’s stars sit in the top-18.
To emphasize Germany’s distance excellence, here is a look at where its current standouts stand in the all-time rankings.
All-Time Rankings
400 Freestyle
1. Lukas Märtens – 3:39.96 (World Record)
17. Oliver Klemet – 3:42.81
800 Freestyle
6. Johannes Liebmann – 7:37.94 (European Record)
7. Sven Schwarz – 7:38.12
12. Lukas Märtens – 7:39.10
15. Florian Wellbrock – 7:39.63
35. Oliver Klemet – 7:44.61
1500 Freestyle
8. Florian Wellbrock – 14:34.89
9. Sven Schwarz – 14:35.69
13. Oliver Klemet – 14:39.03
17. Johannes Liebmann – 14:39.67
18. Lukas Märtens – 14:40.28