Germany’s Schwarz trims Wiffen’s European men’s 800m freestyle record
Sven Schwarz has set a European men’s 800m freestyle record of 7:38.12 at the German Swimming Championships.
The 23-year-old lowered the mark of 7:38.19 set by Ireland’s Daniel Wiffen in winning the Olympic title last summer.
Schwarz, who was fifth in this event at the Paris 2024 Games, had a previous best of 7:41.77, set in winning gold at the inaugural 2023 European Aquatics U23 Championships in Dublin, where Wiffen took silver.
He also improved the German record of 7:39.48 set in 2023 by Lukas Märtens, who got his own name onto the record books in April by setting a 400m freestyle world mark of 3:39.96 in Stockholm.
Schwarz is now fifth on the all-time list behind China’s Zhang Lin, who clocked the world record of 7:32.12 in 2009, Tunisia’s Ous Mellouli and Ahmed Hafnaoui, who have recorded 7:35.27 and 7:37.00 respectively, and Sam Short of Australia, who swam in 2023.
Schwarz’s short course European junior 800m freestyle record of 7:36.00, also set at the German Championships, has stood since 2019.
Schwarz was followed home in his record-breaking swim by Florian Wellbrock, the Tokyo 2020 10km open water swimming gold medallist and world short course record holder in the 1500m freestyle, who clocked 7:43.79.
Third place went to the Paris 2024 10km open water swimming silver medallist Oliver Klemet in 7:44.61.
Mike Rowbottom for European Aquatics
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