Germany’s Olympic champion Lukas Maertens set a new world record in the men’s 400-meter freestyle at the Stockholm Open on Saturday, surpassing the previous mark that had stood since 2009.

The 23-year-old swimmer clocked an impressive 3:39.96, edging out the previous record of 3:40.07 held by fellow German Paul Biedermann at the World Championships in Rome 14 years ago.

Biedermann’s record was achieved while wearing a polyurethane swimsuit, which has since been banned in competitive swimming. Maertens, who claimed Olympic gold in the event at the Paris Games last year with a time of 3:41.78, had previously set his personal best of 3:40.33 at the 2024 German Championships.

This new world record marks a significant achievement for Maertens, continuing his dominance in the 400m freestyle.