2026 MALMSTEN SWIM OPEN STOCKHOLM
- Thursday, April 9th – Sunday, April 12th
- Prelims at 9:30am local (3:30am ET)/Finals at 6pm local (Noon ET)
- Stockholm, Sweden
- LCM (50m)
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Johannes Liebmann became the fourth different German swimmer, and the third from Schwimmclub Magdeburg, to break the national record in the 800 free in the past four years tonight, clocking a time of 7:37.94 to absolutely shatter his personal best and snatch both the German and European Records from Sven Schwarz, who swam 7:38.12 last May.
The 19-year-old blew the field apart with his swim, taking the win over Oliver Klemet by more than seven seconds as he touched in 7:45.66 for silver. Liebmann hacked nearly 13 seconds from his previous best of 7:50.86 tonight, sitting on the shoulder of German teammate Klemet through the first 350 meters before pulling away down the back half of the race.
The youngster hit the halfway point in 3:48.39, before roaring home in 3:49.55. He kept every 50 from the 150 mark onwards between 29.10 and 28.79, before dropping the hammer with a 55.80 final 100 meters.
For his part, Klemet was only a second away from his lifetime best on his return from a broken arm, following up a strong swim of 14:41.71 in the 1500 free on Friday. He set his best of 7:44.61 at the German Championships last year.
Liebmann demolished his personal best of 7:50.86, and was more than 16 seconds faster than the times he swam at the European Junior Championships (7:54.09) and World Junior Championships (7:54.86) last summer. He did set a new World Junior Record on two occasions at the European Short Course Championships in December, clocking 7:30.94 in the heats and 7:30.47 in the final for 4th place and the second-fastest swim by a German.
He slots into 6th on the all-time rankings, and is one of six men who have been within 7:36.88 and 7:38.19 in the last three years. Both of the German swimmers in the top ten set their times outside of a major championship final – the only two to do so in the top ten.
Men’s 800 Free (LCM), All-Time Top Ten
- Zhang Lin (CHN) — 7:32.12, 2009 World Championships
- Ous Mellouli (TUN) — 7:35.27 2009 World Championships
- Ahmed Jaouadi (TUN) — 7:36.88, 2025 World Championships
- Ahmed Hafnaoui (TUN) — 7:37.00, 2023 World Championships
- Sam Short (AUS) — 7:37.76, 2023 World Championships
- Johannes Liebmann (GER) — 7:37.94, 2026 Malmsten Swim Open
- Sven Schwarz (GER) — 7:38.12, 2025 German Championships
- Daniel Wiffen (IRE) — 7:38.19, 2024 Olympic Games
- Sun Yang (CHN) — 7:38.57 2011 World Championships
- Grant Hackett (AUS) — 7:38.65 2005 World Championships
He becomes the 15th swimmer to crack 7:40, and only the third under-20 swimmer to do so after Ian Thorpe, who clocked 7:39.16 to win the 2001 World Championships, and Sun Yang, who swam 7:38.57 for gold at the 2011 World Championships.
Liebmann’s swim was also a new German and European record, shaving 0.18 seconds from Sven Schwarz‘s former standard of 7:38.12 from the 2025 German Championships. He vaults up from 6th on the all-time German rankings to take top spot, ahead of Schwarz and a pair of Magdeburg teammates in Lukas Maertens and Florian Wellbrock.
All three of those swimmers had set a German record in the event in the last four years. Wellbrock became the first German to crack 7:40 at the 2022 World Championships in a time of 7:39.63, before his mark was erased one year later by Maertens 7:39.48 – a time which only placed 5th in what was one of the deepest finals in history.
Sven Schwarz then broke that record last May, clocking 7:38.12 to win the German Championships, and followed that up with a pair of sub-7:40 times at the European U23 Championships (7:38.98) and the Singapore World Championships (7:39.96).
The European record has also been ticking over, having now been lowered four times in three years. Daniel Wiffen set the first two, going 7:39.19 at the 2023 World Championships and 7:38.19 at the Paris Olympics, before Schwarz (7:38.12) and now Liebmann (7:37.94) lowered it further.
Earlier at this meet, Liebmann had set new a personal best in the 400 free of 3:44.59 and demolished his 1500 free best, swimming 14:39.67. That ranked him 17th all-time, and with his 800 free time tonight he is in place to qualify in all three events for the European Championships this summer.
Those spots will not be confirmed until after the German Championships next month however, and Liebmann will have to contend with the formidable quartet of Wellbrock, Maertens, Klemet and Schwarz, with Schwarz racing at the Berlin Swim Open next week. However, it will take a series of monster swims to deny Liebmann a spot at his first senior long course championship.
Unsurprisingly, Liebmann is now top of the 2025-2026 season rankings, more than three seconds ahead of Sam Short in 2nd. Klemet also moves into the top five.
2025-2026 LCM Men 800 FREE
SHORT
7:36.73
| 2 | Johannes LIEBMANN | GER | 7:37.94 | 04/12 |
| 3 | Sven Schwarz | GER | 7:41.14 | 04/24 |
| 4 | Lukas MÄRTENS | GER | 7:41.31 | 04/24 |
| 5 | Zhang Zhanshuo | CHN | 7:44.45 | 03/22 |
Very impressive swim. Current trends suggest the Mens 200 Free will be the last supersuit record to fall but we will have to wait and see.
Not sure on the rules at Europeans. Can Germany take three swimmers? It’s going to be cut throat for qualifying in the 400/800/1500. Is it a straight head to head selection meet?
4 swimmers per nation can enter euros, but only 2 per nation can advance past the heats
I smell a big improvement in the 8 free time this year. So many guys crowded around 7:36-7:38 I see someone going a 7:34 anything at Euros/African Champs/Irvine/Pan Pacs later this year. WR could legitimately fall at or by LA.
For the Germans having all 4 of your active top distance swimmers going under 7:40 in the 800 is completely unprecedented in the event. On the same level of dominance as the Aussie women in the 100/200 frees, US women 100/200 back, and US men 100/200 fly’s. Incredible.
He looks a bit like Ian Thorpe with this catch-up technique, high body position and powerful kick. More efficient over the distance than Klemet’s galloping style.
Are we still sure that the men’s 800 free world record is untouchable?
Yes
Lol he is 19, just dropped 13 seconds in one year, but can’t drop another 5 and a half by the end of his career?
See here:
https://swimswam.com/johannes-liebmann-claims-german-european-records-with-12-second-pb-of-737-94-in-the-800-free/#comment-1694923
Yeah, literally nothing to see. A bunch of people the same age not improving there PB does not mean that he won’t. He is improving rapidly and has an amazing group of swimmers around him. Can’t wait to see what he can get to.
If you normalize by distance, the top performers in the 800 free are now closer to the World Record than the top performers in the 200 free (counting Popovici as 1:43-mid here as he hasn’t been 1:42 in some time), although it’s pretty close.
The men’s 800 is a fickle thing. Sun Yang and Sam Short both did their best 800s (so far) at 19. Thorpe was 18. Aleksandr Stepanov was 19. Mack Horton was 19.
Most of the names you mention are more like 400 freestylers.
They’re the #4, #12, #21, and #28 performers in history though.
Larsen Jensen hit his best time at 19 too, if we go back further. David Betlehem. It’s a bit of a curse.
You are not very wrong but I’m more optimistic. If you look at the trajactories of his training partners (Wellbrock, Maertens, Klemet and some notable women), you would think his peak is still ahead.
Wellbrock, Maertens and Klemet all hit their 800 free PBs at the age of 23-24.
Another thing is that Johannes said in the one of the interviews (if I remember correctly) that he has only been in this top training group for about a year.
Think it’s time to break that curse. What about Jaoudi, Hafnaoui, Short, and Finke?
Zhang Lin was 22.
Ous Mellouli was 25.
Super-suits
200, 400 and 800 free are the reign of young swimmers. There are very few outliers.
Men’s distance going crazy at the moment. At this stage looks like at least 6 finalists in LA will be top 10 all time.
… could he be the fated one? Honestly I’ve said from the beginning Men’s 200BK and Men’s 800FR are the most unbeatable (along with Women’s 200FL which looks to be on its last gasp). Let’s see!
You’re forgetting men’s 200 Free
I initially didn’t consider it to be quite *as* unbeatable as the other 3 back in 2010 when I made this prediction.
these guys are gonna push the textile wr down to maybe like a 7:34!
Bullish prediction, if he stays healthy and with his coach
Double gold LA28 800/1500
Sub 7.30 before 2030
Sub 14.20 before 2030
Thoughts?
I would say possible but maybe a little to Bullish for me