There are not many luxury problems in German swimming, but one thing was clearly observed this Friday: Among the five fastest swimmers who competed in races over 1500 meters freestyle this year, three swim under the direction at the Olympic base in Magdeburg by Bernd Berkhahn.

The problem for the national coach: Oliver Klemet, number five in the world this year, had to watch the World Cup heats.

Christopher Becker

sports editor.

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Two places per swimming association, so Florian Wellbrock jumped into the pool for the German Swimming Association, the world champion, third fastest over this distance this year.

And: Lukas Märtens, 20 years old.

Nobody was faster in 2022 than Märtens, who finished in Magdeburg at the end of March after 14:40.28 minutes.

Over time, Märtens would have won the silver medal at the Olympic Games in Tokyo a year ago - and beat Wellbrock.

Wellbrock qualified for the final on Saturday evening as fastest, Märtens sixth.

They train in the same pool

If Wellbrock is the king of German swimmers, and there is no doubt about that, then Martens is the pretender.

One who had come to Budapest for the World Championships as the year's world best not only over 1500, but also over 400 and 800 meters.

One who says of the successes in spring 2022: "It was a bit predictable.

Training went very, very well.

Florian had a few more problems in training than before the Olympics.

That’s where it became apparent.”

The fact that they both train in the same pool makes things even more exciting.

And it is indeed striking how Märtens walks in the footsteps that Wellbrock also had to follow before he won bronze over 1500 meters and gold in the open water race at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Because like Wellbrock five years earlier to the Olympics in Rio, Märtens had come to Tokyo with quiet but high hopes.

And then, above all, made big eyes.

tension and distraction

Märtens says he remembers one thing above all from Tokyo: “The tension in my head.

The excitement.

It was very different from any other competition.

I thought about other things a lot more than I did at the start.” So much distraction, even with Corona games.

“The whole village, the huge canteen, all the trappings.

All the impressions – that was a lot.

The international top swimmers have of course contributed to this, because you look at them from time to time.

You think about something other than yourself.”

In his individual starts he got stuck in the heats, to his own and Berkhahn's disappointment.

But, says Märtens, this experience has brought him "a lot": "That I concentrate on myself, look at myself, not at others, don't let myself be distracted." Second place in the 400-meter freestyle on the first day of the world championships seems promising to prove that he is on the right track.

But in fact it will only be possible to say in Paris in three years whether the expectations that Märtens has long aroused will be fulfilled.

Because the World Championships in Budapest are the first part of a series of high-level championships up until then: the European Championships in Rome in August, next year in August the next World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, in January 2024 another World Championships in Doha, Qatar, and for the early summer A European Championship was also planned before the games in Paris, in Kazan, Russia.

In short: the international swimming federation FINA has reduced the half-life of a world championship title so impressively that the fixed star, Olympic victory, shines a little brighter.

Especially for the Magdeburg long-distance crawlers, because no German man has won gold in the pool since 1988 - and there are not many German swimmers outside of Magdeburg who will change that.

"I'm a bit younger, I still have a few highlights ahead of me," Märtens said before the World Cup.

"I'll take what I can get and then we'll see step by step.

I think for me it's very good that there are many highlights every year.

I could have concentrated on two starts at this World Championship as well, but I'll take the experience with me of having as many starts as possible and starting in Paris with a cool head."

His world championship ends with the race over 1500 meters.

After second place over 400 meters, he was eliminated over twice as long a distance in the heat and finished seventh over 200 meters.

Were two days off enough to refill the battery?

The foreword gave little information about this.

Märtens chose the program that way.

“Bernd Berkhahn gave me the freedom to swim whatever I want.

But I think he also finds it much better when I have this experience: many starts, many races.

That's how I made my decision."

For the time being, Lukas Märtens seems to be taking things as they come.

The main thing is to “keep a cool head, never switch it off”.

Never turn off your head?

A psychologist at the base in Magdeburg helps the swimmers to "find the best solution, we're in good hands there".

After the Olympics last year, he had a week's break.

"It really isn't much.

That was also the case in recent years – at most you had a real break of two weeks, real vacation.

I think it would be much more difficult if you go on vacation for two months after a top event.” That won't happen in the coming years.

For the time being, Lukas Märtens sees this as a privilege.