Ian Thorpe’s 400m Freestyle Record Broken After 16 Years: A New Era in Swimming History

The chapter of the super suits is gradually fading from sporting lore, especially after Lukas Martens broke another long-standing world record in the 400m freestyle.

Martens shaved 0.11 seconds off the 16-year-old record at a competition in Sweden, dethroning Germany’s Paul Biddermann as the fastest swimmer in the event’s history.

Recently, multiple athletes have come close to eclipsing this record, yet none have succeeded in breaking the elusive 3:40 barrier.

Australian legend Ian Thorpe was the closest to the record, achieving three times under 3:41:00 between 2000 and 2002.

Thorpe’s world record of 3:40.02 stood for five years until it was narrowly surpassed in 2009 by Biddermann by a mere 0.01 seconds.

Notably, Australian swimmers Sam Short and Elijah Winnington have put pressure on Martens by achieving two of the fastest times of the 2024 season, clocking 3:41.41 and 3:41.46 respectively.

In response, Martens recorded a time of 3:30.33 at the German championships in April 2024.

The 23-year-old’s remarkable performance has garnered admiration from several world record holders in the swimming community, including former 400m champion Thorpe.

“Well done, Lukas. First person under 3:40 — the world has been anticipating this moment for a long time,” Thorpe posted on social media.

Australian star Kyle Chalmers remarked, “This is unreal… one of the most incredible races I’ve witnessed live. Dominating from start to finish.”

Martens’ incredible speed propelled him to a 200m mark of 1:47.55, a time that left fellow swimmer Cameron McEvoy in awe, responding with mind-blown emojis.

Thorpe’s record is still regarded as one of the most impressive achievements in the annals of swimming, with only one performance during the super suit era exceeding it.

The super suit era spanned from 2008 to 2009, during which over 200 records were set across both long and short courses.

The 2009 World Championships in Rome witnessed the setting of 43 world records, while 23 of the 25 record times at the 2008 Beijing Olympics were claimed by athletes competing in super suits.

These drag-reducing suits were banned in 2010 after World Aquatics deemed they provided an unfair advantage to swimmers wearing the Speedo LZR swimsuit.

Only four world records broken during this period remain unbroken in the men’s long course competition, including the 50m, 200m, and 800m freestyle records.

Aaron Peirsol set the 200m backstroke record with a time of 1:51.92 in 2009, which has yet to be matched, with Evgeny Rylov coming the closest at the Tokyo Olympics with a time of 1:53.27.