On Road to LA28, Rising Youth Stars Ready to Challenge Established Guard in 400 Freestyle
Two years out from the 2028 Olympic Games, intrigue surrounds the podium chase in the 400-meter freestyle. Is it a veterans’ event? Are the youngsters about to take over? Is it soon to be the realm of a well-known Frenchman? Come showtime in Los Angeles, the discipline could go in a variety of directions.
At the recent Pan Pacific Championships and European Championships, the 400 freestyle produced noteworthy results. At Pan Pacs, Australian Sam Short recorded the most recent of his stellar performances, going 3:40.52. That mark makes Short, a former world champ, the No. 5 performer in history. Meanwhile, at Euros, France’s Leon Marchand captured the gold medal with a national record of 3:43.14. That effort could be an indicator of bigger moments in the future.
Although German world-record holder Lukas Märtens was nearly five seconds off his best of 3:39.96 at Europeans, going 3:44.57, the 24-year-old is the reigning Olympic champion and a four-time medalist at the World Champs, including gold in 2025. Märtens is too talented and his track record in the event is too overwhelming to think that his trip to Euros was anything but a hiccup.
The event becomes further captivating when considering its rising youth. No fewer than six teenagers have the ability to make inroads on the way to LA28, headlined by China’s Zhang Zhanshuo. The world junior record holder, at 3:42.82, the 19-year-old has since dropped his best to 3:41.55 and will be chasing something faster when he races at the Asian Games next month. Then there’s American 17-year-old Luka Mijatovic, who has gone sub-3:44 on two occasions this summer – a 3:43.45 at the United States Nationals, and a 3:43.67 at the Junior Pan Pacific Championships. A University of Texas recruit, Mijatovic is considered the future of distance freestyle in the United States.
In Germany’s Johannes Liebmann, the question is whether the 400 freestyle will be part of his international program. The 19-year-old Liebmann just shredded the world record in the 1500 freestyle at the European Championships, clocking 14:26.79. He is also the European record holder in the 800 freestyle and while he’s been 3:44.59 in the 400 free, Liebmann must weigh whether he can be effective from the 400 through the 1500.
At Europeans, Hungarian 16-year-old Oliver Papai won the silver medal in 3:44.46, using a sterling back half to move through the field. He is complemented by reigning world and European junior champ Grigorii Vekovishchev of Russia, who possesses a best time of 3:44.58. Then there’s American 19-year-old Ryan Erisman (3:44.03), who has take huge steps forward since joining the Cal-Berkeley program.
The sport’s landscape will shift on multiple occasions between now and Trials for the 2028 Olympic Games. On the way, the 400 freestyle could be one of the most entertaining events, a mix of established stars and surging youngsters looking to position themselves for glory.