Johannes Liebmann European Swimming Championship Gold and European Record in Paris

The moon was just eclipsing the sun when Johannes Liebmann wrote swimming history. The high school graduate managed to outpace everyone in the European Championship pool in Paris, beat his own European record and became the first German European champion in the 800 m freestyle.

After the attack, the 19-year-old swung himself onto the line, vice world champion Sven Schwarz crouched down behind him, both raised their arms in triumph: just in time for the solar eclipse in the French capital, the German swimmers beamed with gold and silver.

“I flirted with the gold medal, now I’m even happier that I have it,” said Liebmann, who won the first German pool title on the third day at the Center Aquatique Olympique in 7:37.59 minutes: “It’s unbelievable, I don’t even know what to say about it.”

After 550 meters, Liebmann broke away from Schwarz and the Hungarian Zalan Sarkany and pulled away irresistibly. In the end, he beat his European record, which he had only set in April, by 35 hundredths.

“We made it our duty to get first and second,” said Schwarz, “of course you always want to be first, but you can’t have everything.”

Liebmann only graduated from high school in May and has been training for three years with national coach Bernd Berkhahn in Magdeburg with Olympic champions Florian Wellbrock and Lukas Märtens.

Last week he made his European Championship debut in the Seine, coming eighth in the knockout sprint. On Friday, Liebmann is once again one of the favorites as the world’s best in the 1500 m, and on Sunday there will be a duel with world record holder Märtens in the 400 m.