Johannes Liebmann obliterated the 1500 free world record in 14:26.79 to take 3.88secs off Bobby Finke’s standard at the European Championships in Paris.
The 19-year-old – who set a European record en-route to 800 free gold – led from the start with Zalan Sarkany for company, the German always slightly ahead as the pair went stroke for stroke and eyeball for eyeball with the field splintered in their wake.
The German – a member of the Magdeburg powerhouse coached by Bernd Berkhahn – was inside WR pace throughout, reaching 400m in 3:48.38, 2.66secs under Finke’s split from his record-setting exploits across the city at the 2024 Olympics.
Liebmann – who accelerated away from Zarkany – reached the halfway point in 7:11.69, 3.25secs inside the world record. By 1000m, he was 3.80secs inside and 4.11secs with 100m to go.
Splitting 28.79/27.39 for a 56.18 final 100, Liebmann came home to shatter Finke’s world record of 14:30.67. He sliced a six-second chunk off Gregorio Paltrinieri’s European record of 14:32.80 from the 2022 worlds in Budapest and 7.25secs from the Italian’s CR that had stood since London 2016.
Zarkany was second in a Hungarian record of 14:39.45 as he clinched his second medal following 800 bronze with Oliver Klemet making it a Magdeburg and Germany 1-3 in 14:40.64.
