Germany’s 19-year-old Johannes Liebmann lowered the European men’s 800m freestyle record to 7:37.94 in April at the Malmsten Swim Open in Stockholm.

A four-times medallist at the 2024 European Aquatics Junior Swimming Championships in Vilnius, he set three world junior records – one at 400m, two over 800m – at last December’s EA Short Course Championships in Lublin, where he finished fourth in the 800m final.

He will seek his first senior European long-course medal in Paris as part of a strong German distance swimming team.

During the past year you have successfully bridged the gap from junior to senior competition. How hard was it to make this transition, and was the most challenging part of it physical or mental?

Overall, the transition was relatively smooth for me because I got a lot of support from my training partners Flo (Florian Wellbrock), Ollie (Oliver Klemet), and Lukas (Märtens), as well as from Coach Bernd (Berkhahn).

I just trained with them without worrying too much about it. The physical adjustments came naturally over time. Of course, at first it was still very hard for me to keep up with the fast pace.

Physically, it was certainly challenging at times. But mentally I had no problems with it. I also stayed healthy this season, which of course helped as well.

Who has helped you the most in this process?

My girlfriend always cheered me up whenever I was having a rough day. The guys in the group were also a big help. They treated me as an equal and always had some good advice for every situation.

When you’re just finishing school, like I am, that automatically means becoming more independent. Flo, for example, was a huge help with that.

At what point did you feel you truly belong in senior competitive company? Lublin world junior records? European record?

To be honest I still don’t feel that way yet. But the junior world record and the European record showed me that I can compete with the best swimmers in Europe. Guys like Florian or Daniel Wiffen are still a step or two ahead of me. I’m still only 19 years old, so I’m more of a hunter than the hunted.

Of course the junior world record in the short course showed me that I’m ready for the elite level. And the European record showed me that I can actually start competing there right away. But that’s all.

How confident, or maybe how surprised, did you feel about setting the European 800m freestyle record?

I didn’t see that coming! I certainly wasn’t thinking about breaking the record. I’d been running fast during training camp and I knew I was capable of it. The race went really well and I felt great out there.

And in London I was able to show that it wasn’t just a one-off. That was important to me too. It really gives you a good feeling.

What are your ambitions now for Paris 2026 – and beyond?

I’m hoping for good results and, ideally, some personal bests as well. Of course, with four Germans competing it’s going to be extremely difficult just to make it to the final. The other guys on our team have more experience than I do, but I want to challenge myself against the best and see how far I can go.

For me, it’s about gaining experience at the highest level, but also about making the most of every opportunity. My goal is to keep improving and take another step forward this season. My goal is also to keep getting better with an eye towards the 2027 World Championships and also the 2028 Olympics in LA. That’s what it takes with such strong competition.

Will you be able to have friends/family watching you in Paris?

My family is coming to France. And I’m really excited about it because it doesn’t happen very often that they come to watch my international competitions.

Have you have already visited Paris? Are there any par8cular places/sights you have enjoyed, and do you plan to see any in par8cular this summer?

I’ve never been to Paris so I’m really looking forward to this trip. Of course I definitely want to see the major sights like the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre.

Two years ago, I watched the Olympic heats on the big screen in our training hall. But this time I’ll be there in Paris in person. That’s pretty cool!

Swimming at the European Aquatics Championships Paris 2026 will run from August 10 to 16.

Mike Rowbottom for European Aquatics