‘It’s a victory for us’: DSV Celebrates Martens’ Silver Medal

Status: 05:01 AM| Reading time: 2 minutes

FGirlfriend Isabel Goss jumped up and down, breaststroke swimmer Lucas Matzerath shivering in the warm-up pool, and national coach Bernd Berkhan hid a broad grin under an FFP2 mask.

Lucas Martins’ silver medal in the first final of the FINA 400m freestyle world championships caused great joy. And even Martins, who often appears cold, showed unusual emotions at the awards ceremony when he briefly grabbed a fist of joy. “It’s a victory for us,” Birkhan said proudly.

Second place in the first major final of his career also cost Martins an unusually high number of pills. “We have a lot to do now to make him do well in the 200m on Sunday,” Birkhan said. He ruled out a short-term withdrawal from a distance of 200 meters, which was considered a branch line. We’re putting our shoes on from here. After the 800m freestyle on Monday and Tuesday, he’ll have a longer break.”

At first, Berkhan did not even want to judge what Martins could do at long distances after such a coup. “He is in real pain now. The priority is to get him fit,” the coach said. “He has shown that he is fit. If he can do his 800-plus and 1,500 crawls, he can swim up front. But it remains to be seen how he will recover from this day, from this success. Because it is not only a physical effort, but also a mental effort.”

After the awards ceremony, Martins himself sometimes looked as if he had tin around his neck instead of silver due to his stress. Every step was difficult for the man from Magdeburg, and every smile seemed tormented. It’s hard to imagine being able to get the best deals again the next day. A reward awaits you at the team hotel. “They’re going to come up with something,” Martins said. Even an intimate hug with his girlfriend Isabel Goose can ease the pain.