There's Lukas Märtens at 1m 92, Florian Wellbrock, at 1m 91, and Sven Schwartz, at 1m 94. They're the fastest three 800 and 1500m freestylers Germany has ever produced. Then there's Oliver Klemet. He's 1m 75 ... but don't let height deceived you.

When Klemet takes to his blocks at German Championships in Berlin from tomorrow in the company of the teammates and rivals towering over him, he'll do so as a distance danger man standing tall.

Consider the threat of his speed and endurance either side of those 800-1500 events: on 3mins 42.81 over 400m freestyle at the Magdeburg derby, Gothaer & friends, this time a year ago, Klemet had clearly been working hard on the finishing speed he was chasing on the way to Olympic silver in the Marathon at Paris 2024 last August.

His 400m speed attracted attention for two key reasons: it elevated him to No3 all-time on the German ranks adrift the two men who are now the fastest two in the world all-time: Märtens, Klemet's training partner at the SC Magdeburg performance centre under the guidance of coach Bernd Berkhahn, and Paul Biedermann, the World record holder on 3:40.07 between Rome 2009 and earlier this month, the Märtens became history's sub-3:40 pioneer:

Märtens Takes Down Shiny Biedermann & Textile Thorpe With Game-Changing 3:39.96 WR In Stockholm 400 Free

What it took for Lukas Märtens to break Paul Biedermann’s Word record: at 51.90 he matched Mark Spitz’s first 100m free World record in 1970; at 1:47.55, he matched the third of Michael The Albatross Gross’ 200m free World records, from 1984

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

Klemet, 22, is from Wehrheim, and races for SG Frankfurt. He's in good form and good spirits heading into Nationals and Berlin trials for Singapore World Championships in July: last Saturday, he picked up his first World Cup Open Water win of his career. Either side of him on the podium after the 3km knockout 'sprints' in the Med were David Betlehem, the Hungarian who shared the Olympic podium with him last summer in Paris, and a third man less than 1m 80 tall, France's Marc-Antoine Olivier. Klemet is the shortest of all three, but the man standing tallest that day.

The Open Water cup event turned out well for Germany: Klemet's gold was matched by another for Germany when Lea Boy, from Würzburg.

All good prep for the days ahead in Berlin in the confines of a tank with four walls at the Europa-park pool. Klemet's 400m speed is critical to all his events. In open water, all the marathon men in contention can swim a very decent 400m, but Klemet is the fastest of them all over eight long-course lengths in the pool when it comes to excelling over 10km.

The open water 'knockout sprint' events are new - and divided into three events - a 1500m, a 1000m and a final 'sprint' 500m. They're also formatted in a way helpful to Klemet, the swimmer noted in an interview with the DSV (German Swimming Association):

"According to the rules, you can choose your starting positions for the next races in the order of the previous ones, so I could always start on the far left and swim freely."

In Ibiza, the German swimmer with Russian roots had the 3km challenge in his grip after two stages in the three-stage event: having taken the 1500 (15:44.7 minutes) and 1000 (9:59.6 minutes), the outcome of a 500m for a 3:42 400m man wasn't too difficult to predict. Klemet finished ahead by a 'comfortable' margin, in 4:50.5.

The conditions were somewhat different in the Seine last year, when the environment favoured those prepared to swim up close to the bank wall to avoid the worst of racing against the flow, while risking the thorns on the vegetation spilling down to the water's edge. Even so, the sprint finish was as crucial as it is in almost every marathon / open water race.

The tactic required swimmers with a fair few elements to consider, including the tummy bugs that followed for many, to hold their nerve, keep their place in the single-file row when swimming in the direction of the start and finish pontoon. And then, on the last lap be in a position to sprint for home. Klemet and the Hungarians got it more right than anyone else:

How A Deal Between Danube & Seine Sealed Success For Rasovszky & Bethlehem

Danube practice “was really good preparation in how to swim a river and gave us a good advantage to know where and how to swim in the Seine” - Kristóf Rasovszky

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

Men’s Marathon - Rasovszky Takes Last Swimming Gold Of The Games - Leads Hungarian 1-3 Punch, Klemet Germany’s Silver Lining

After leading for most of the last swimming race of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, Hungarian Kristof Rasovszky triumphed over 10km in the Seine this morning, Germany’s Oliver Klemet taking silver and the champion’s teammate David Bethlehem delivering a 1-3 punch for his country with bronze in a sprint

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

In Paris, he did not match his 3:42 best but finished seventh in 3:46.59. He qualified for the second berth in the 800m but gave up his place for Wellbrock, for whom the Games did not go as planned. Come the marathon, Wellbrock was in contention for most of the way when defending the marathon crown in Paris, until he fell back on the penultimate circuit and faded badly in the closing stages to finish eighth a minute outside the podium pace.

Klemet, having had a week of rest after the 400m, hit his taper and peak form perfectly for the 10km - for silver 2.1sec shy of Rasovsky, Betlehem winning the battle for bronze by 0.6 over Italy's Domenico Acerenza some 15sec back.

They say a swimmer is only as good as 'the last time out'. Here comes 'the next and last time' that will help to shape the Germany team for Singapore Worlds: Klemet will be racing alongside rivals 16-19 cms taller than him at the German Championships in Berlin from tomorrow - and standing tall as he does so.

Masiuk & Sieradzki Set Polish Records At Lublin Nationals

Ksawery Masiuk shaved 0.03sec off his Polish 100m backstroke record for a 52.55 victory on day 2 at National Championships in Lublin.

Out in 25.35, home in 27.20, the European bronze medallist and Paris Olympian raced a whisker in side the standard he set in his semi-final at the 2022 World Championships in Budapest on his way to sixth place in the final.

Early days on the 2025 World rankings, of course, but Masiuk's efforts places him seventh globally so far this year on a list topped by Russian Kliment Kolesnikov's 52.04. Kolesnikov has been out of top-flight international action since Putin launched his illegal invasion of Ukraine three years ago.

Meanwhile, Masiuk, 20, has qualified in the 100m on both butterfly and backstroke for the World Championships, which get underway in the pool in Singapore on July 27. On butterfly, Jakub Majerski topped he 100m final in 51.72, Masiuk second in 51.93.

In other action in Lublin, Kamil Sieradzki set a Polish men’s 200 free record of 1:46.02, 0.68 inside the Singapore cut and 0.17 inside the national mark that had been held at 1:46.19 by Kacper Majchrzak since the 2017 Universiade.

• RESULTS IN FULL

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY - April 30, 1971

Today marks the 54th anniversary of two World Records that represented a change of guard in women's freestyle swimming. On April 30, 1971, a shooting star called Shane Gould equalled fellow Australian Dawn Fraser's World record in the 100m freestyle, her 58.9sec sprint unfolding at the Coca-Cola International at London's Crystal Palace. In the same session, Gould's teammate Karen Moras took down the World record in the 400m freestyle, her 4:22.6 confining to history thew 4:24.3 clocked by American Debbie Meyer in August 1970.

The meet marked the last time we'd see Meyer in a global competition. She announced her retirement before trials for the Munich 1972 Olympics, her pantheon stacked with eternal achievements, including her victories over 200m, 400m and 800m at the Mexico 1968 Olympic Games that made her the first woman in swimming history to claim three gold medals in solo events at one Games.

The next would be Gould, guided by Forbes and Ursula Carlile, in Munich, where the Australian also claimed silver and bronze medals to go alongside her victories in the 200 and 400m freestyle and 200m medley, each gold claimed in World-record time. Those five solo medals remain the most ever won by a woman in individual events in the Olympic pool.

Meyer retired with 14 World freestyle records (200 - 5; 400 - 5; 1500 - 4) on her career chart, while Gould would set 10 World records (100 - 2; 200 - 3; 400 - 2; 800 - 1; 1500 - 2) between February 1971 and February 1973. For a part of that time, she held every world freestyle record from 100 to 1500 simultaneously, a feat not only never repeated since but unlikely top ever be matched, the spectrum of speed from Sarah Sjöstrom to Katie Ledecky reflecting an unbridgeable sprint-distance canyon in 2025.

Worth noting, of course, that time does not diminish Gould's unique achievements: you'd need just the two hands, at a stretch, to count the numbers of swimmers in he modern era who were genuinely capable of reaching Olympic podiums in distances from 100 to 1500. Gould was and remains one of the greats of swimming.

The closest winning spectrum to Gould's since her day is bookend-ed by Americans Shirley Babashoff and Katie Ledecky .

Why Shirley Babashoff’s Making Waves Was The Vortex Book Of 2016

Shirley Babashoff released her autobiography “Making Waves” on July 12, 2016. A monument to all that was and remains rotten in the state of swimming, the American ace’s story, which ought to be seminal but is unfinished business yet, is as relevant today as it ever was

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

Ledecky A Legend With 12 Olympic Podiums Two Medals Shy Of An Outer-Orbit Half-Phelps

Ledecky has the best Twenty 1500m swims in history after taking the seventh individual Olympic title in Paris 12 years after gold at her Games debut in London

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

Ledecky The Living Legend As Founder Member Of Female Quad Club

“Thank you for making me better,” says Ledecky to Titmus after their epic 800. Says Titmus “She’s made me a better athlete, I totally respect what she’s done in this sport, more than any other athlete”

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

The London meet in April 1971 marked Gould's first World record. I was there to see it, on a day out and date with my own destiny...

FORUM - the SOS Newsletter for subscribers:

FORUM: A Review Of ‘Reform’; & My Day Out In London, 1971, When Gould Matched Fraser & Moras Passed Meyer

Is the reform process on track & how’s the Integrity Unit going? We start the trawl; Timeline - WR’s set this week throughout history - what I saw when I was 8 on a day out in London; & the AAU joins our list of candidates for the History of Swimming in 100 Objects and Organisations

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State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

Also In The April Vortex:

• James Guy's Property Partnership Part Of Career Transition Plan For GB's Most-Medalled Relay Man
• Speedy Warm-Ups From Angelina Kohler & Anna Elendt at Berlin Open
• Wellbrock, Märtens, Gose & Co Mop up At Magdeburg Derby
• Caribé Santos Bolts A 21.46 Dash to His 47.10 There-and-Back At Maria Lenk
• Lucas Henveaux Stars At Belgian Open Championships
• Léon Marchand, Summer McIntosh, Katie Ledecky & Galaxy Of Other Big Guns & Vets Line Up For Fort Lauderdale Pro-Swim
• Kaylee McKeown Thanks Griffith As She Heads Back Home To Sunshine Coast For 2028 Prep
• Florian Wellbrock Leads Johannes Liebmann To 800 German Junior Mark At Local Derby
• Mollie O'Callaghan Races Through Challenges To Keep Aussie Open 200 Free Crown in 1:55
• Guilherme Santos Tops Brazil's All-Time Textile Ranks With 47.10 Thunder (Video)
• U.S. Center for SafeSport fires CEO Ju'Riese Colón
• Yuri Suguiyama Appointed USA National Team 'Senior Director & Coach'

McEvoy 21.48 Grants Olympic Champ The Best All-Time Australia Top 15 Textile 50 Free Times

McEvoy joined on day 3 champions list at Australian Open Champs by Kaylee McKeown, 50 back, Lani Pallister, 400 free, Italian Thomas Ceccon, 100 ‘fly, Tara Kinder, 200 breast, Kiwi Lewis Clareburt, 200IM, Rikako Ikee, 50 ’fly, and Ben Goedemans, 800 free

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

McKeown’s In-Season 57.65 100 Back Faster Than Anyone In Paris Olympic Final The Champion - AKA, Herself

“At this time of year, people are just gearing up for trials and then it’s on to Worlds. It’s been hard getting back in. I am not going to beat around the bush … I believe it builds character and makes you stronger. So LA’s looking good.” - Kaylee McKeown

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

• Thomas Ceccon Takes Down Italian 200m Back Mark In 1:55.7 At Australian Open

Scott & Guy Tie, Richards Close; Evans In Record Form; & Morgan Celebrates Sweep - A Perfect Curtain-Closer In London

A stirring curtain-closer at Aquatics GB Championships included a 1:05.3 British record for Angharad Evans in the 100m breaststroke; a backstroke sweep for Oliver Morgan; and the perfect ending - a 1:45.08 snap for James Guy and Duncan Scott ahead of Matt Richards in the 200m free

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

Duncan Scott As Hungry As He Ever Was - Solo Olympic & World Gold Still Among Goals “I Think I’m Capable Of”

“That’s the one thing you don’t need to be worried about; I’m as hungry as ever ... I’m the most decorated silver medallist at the Olympics ... it’s kept me hungry for this entire time and it allows me to keep pushing and wanting to find those extra small percents.” - Duncan Scott

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

Proud Extends World Ranks Lead In 21.67, As Mills, 17, Pops First Two Sub-22s Of Career

Adrift Ben Proud’s 21.6 world-ranks topper, a glimpse of the next wave: 17-year-old Jacob Mills, coached by Jamie Main at Repton, goes 21.99, after 21.96 in heats; and Loughborough’s Abbie Wood goes 2:08.8 career high in the 200IM, Stirling’s Katie Shanahan also inside Singapore cut, on 2:09

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

Scott’s 1:56.44 In London 200IM Shows No Hunger Lost In Post-Paris, Three-Month Break

GB Champs: Scott is pre-selected for Singapore World Championships from July 27-August 3 but had he needed to qualify he would have done so: the cut, 1:57.18; Ollie Morgan and Eva Okaro at the sprint double; Shanahan and McGill through too

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

Tunisia’s Tokyo Olympic Champion Ahmed Hafnaoui, Banned For Missing Three Anti-Doping Tests

The 2020ne 400m free Olympic champion is out for 21 months after falling foul of anti-doping rules on whereabouts at the time he withdrew from Paris 2024 with an undefined ‘illness’

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

Morgan Makes Mincemeat Of British 100 Back Record, 52.12 Victory Just 0.03 Shy of All-Time Global Top 10

If Adam Peaty is motivated by the Olympic introduction of the 50m breaststroke, then Morgan’s elevation from 22nd to 13th on the all-time global rankings will surely have caught the eye of the 100m breaststroke world record holder, head coach Steven Tigg and their medley relay ambitions

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

Swimming Canada Updates Selection Policies After 50m Events Join Olympics

Swimming Canada is also awaiting news on how the changes may affect overall participant numbers at Olympic Games. After 50m additions “will the number of athletes in swimming at the Olympic Games increase, or remain the same?” asks performance lead John Atkinson

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

Supreme Court Ruling & UK Equalities Commission Chair Make It Clear For Sport: No Males In Female Spaces & Races

“Single-sex services, like changing rooms, must be based on biological sex. If a male person is allowed to use a women-only service or facility, it isn’t any longer single sex.” - Baroness Falkner, chair of the UK Equalities & Human Rights Commission

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

Scott Rattles Shiny Suit British Mark In 200 ’Fly Test Aimed At Medley Ambitions

Before 1:54.89 blast, Duncan Scott shared his medley mission with SOS: “It’s not because I want to compete in the 200 ‘fly; It’s just to understand and get a little bit better know how on ‘how do I race ’fly...”; plus, Singapore Cuts For Abbie Wood, Freya Colbert & Max Litchfield

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

• Sienna Toohey Tops The Billboard & Carlile Ends St Peters Decade-Long Dominance By Close Of Aussie Age Titles
• Sara Curtis Makes It Three Italian Sprint Free Records In 24 Hours
• Records For Daniel Wiffen & Danielle Hill As Irish Open Ends With 3 Irish Senior & 4 Junior Records Along With 12 Meet Marks
• Sienna Toohey's Shift From Junior To Senior Speed Tangible
• Swimming Australia's excellent SIX PACK Potted Insight Files
• When Sara Swam Faster Than Federica Ever Did ... Curtis Clocks 53.1 Italian 100 Free Mark

Guy Still Gunning For Gold: 10 Years After Global Glory, Relay King Takes Brit 400 Crown, At 29

The Name’s Guy, James Guy, Olympic 4x200 champion not once but an historic twice, and now 400m free British champion 10 years after his peak year of gold and silver at World titles; plus, Keanna Macinnes and Freya Colbert the first two cuts for Singapore Worlds this summer

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

Wrap Of Meets: Meet Lukas Märtens Adds 7:39.10 German 800m Mark To 400WR In Stockholm

Olympic 400m champion Lukas Martens is on a roll in Stockholm: three days after a World record of 3:39.96 over eight lengths at Sweden’s Swim Cup, the German ace sneaked inside his own national standard in the 800m; plus, Ellie McCartney & Ellen Walshe in record form in Ireland

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

• Hayley Mackinder's Mission Assisted by coaches Thomas Fraser-Holmes and ... Mel Marshall (Peaty's Mentor)
• Nicolo Martinenghi 59.16 takes Italian 100 Crown, Ludovico Viberti's 59.04 In The Wrong Race
• Isabel Gose Goes 4:04 For 400 Victory In Stockholm
• John Shortt Takes Down Irish 200 Back Mark in 1:56; Dan Wiffen Goes 3:46 Championship record in 400 Free 
• Leading Lights Rise Up The Aerial At Aussie Age Titles, Olympic Summers On The Horizon
• Full House For Dan Wiffen's 7:41 At Irish Open
• Lukas Märtens & Florian Wellbrock Lead Another Winning Day For Germans In Stockholm
• Koa Stotz In Junior Record Form As Gen-Brisbane 2032 Comes Into View
• Hubert Kós Pips Kristof Milák in 100 'Fly As Hungarian Nationals Close
• Kyle Chalmers - All-time Fastest Aussie 'Fly Dasher In Textile
• Michael Houlie Takes 50 Breast Crown in Battle With Chris Smith
• David Popovici Pops 47.30 Then Bypasses Final With Back Pain
• Robert Badea Steps Into Limelight For Third Title
• John Shortt, Tom Fannon On The Plane To Singapore; Speedy Start For Pre-selected Ellen Walshe
• Gone At HK$180,000 - Siobhan Haughey's Tokyo Silver Suit & Cap Break Michael Phelps Record At Auction
• Kristof Rasovszky Pops Shiny Suit Standard For Hungarian 400 Free Crown
• Rebecca Meder takes down SA 200IM record for 4th time
• Greg Meehan hired as USA Swimming Team Director
• Popovici Pounces With 1:45 Flat In 200 Free
• David Popovici & Adrian Radulescu Honoured Before Sprinter Downs Romanian 50 Free Mark In 21.8
• Meet round-ups including updates on the following meets as and whenever we get to them
• Hubert Kós Cracks Hungarian 50 Back Mark, Twice, At Nationals
• Pieter Coetze Rattles Own SA Record For 52.71 Win In 100 Back
• German Swim Federation In DSV Deal With SwimBetter
• Ellen Walshe Heads To Irish Open With "A Clean Slate" & Loving Her Job
• The Cap Fits: Hector Pardoe Returns To Ellesmere To Inspire The Next Wave
• No Chad, No Tatjana At Nationals For First Time In Generations As South Africa Nationals Get Started
• Mollie O'Callaghan On Post-Paris Challenges & "Getting Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable"
• Dan Wiffen's vlog On Recovery Strategy For Champs
• Recovery from mystery nerve pain and fatigue Puts Tess Schouten Out Of Singapore World Champs
• House vs. NCAA Settlement - What's All About?
• What are we to make of 'A Women’s Final Of Two Biological Men'?
• Dolphin Madi Wilson Weds Cricketer Matt Short
• Kyle Chalmers Makes A Splash Of The Dash With Career High 21.78 In Bergen
• Alice Williams Joins Swimming Australia Board
• Becca Mann Memoir Out This Week
• Kyle Chalmers The Toast Of Bergen With 47.2 Blast In 100 Free

Athlete Transition With A Twist From The ‘Annoyingly Gifted’ Cody Simpson & His New Gig

As Cody Simpson heads into Guys & Dolls rehearsals, talk turns to athlete career transition in a fine interview for The Age/SMH. Of partner Emma McKeon, he says: “I’m like, ‘You’re gonna have to suck at stuff for a bit. And if you’ve been the very best at something, you’re not used to that’.”

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

• Dutch Government Refuses To Reinstate Mandatory School Swimming
• Short & Thomas At The Distance Double As Urlando Goes 1:52 200 'Fly
• Ponti Pops 22.88 For Swiss 50 'Fly Crown
• Serious Doubts Over How Much Of £474m Covid Loans To Sport & Culture "Will Ever Be Repaid"
• Yes, it was an April's Fool:

World Aquatics Plan To Reintroduce Yards World Records in 2026

World Aquatics is set to bring back yards records 70 years since traditional English linear distances went metric-only & 58 years since all yards events measures were scrapped as swimming became exclusively metric

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

• Spain's Carlos Garach Takes Break From Pool To Pursue Military Career