Olympics-Swimming-'I'm on top now': Maertens takes 400m freestyle gold

By Ian Ransom

PARIS (Reuters) -Germany's Lukas Maertens won his first Olympic gold in the men's 400 metres freestyle at the Paris Olympics on Saturday as he emerged triumphant from a final stacked with world champions and shrugged off his nearly-man record.

Leading from start to finish, Maertens touched the wall in a time of three minutes 41.78 seconds to finish 0.43 seconds ahead of Australian silver medallist Elijah Winnington and South Korean bronze-winner Kim Woo-min at La Defense Arena.

Maertens, a 22-year-old from Magdeburg, came into the race with the fastest time this year and duly converted on the biggest stage to become the first German winner in the event since Uwe Dassler took the title for East Germany at the 1988 Seoul Games.

His victory follows two bronzes and a silver at the last three world championships, having finished behind each of Winnington, Kim and Sam Short.

He turned the tables on all three at La Defense Arena, however, with a barnstorming start, shooting out to a big lead and holding his place to the finish.

"I was right at the front the whole time and still made it to the finish. That wasn't the case in the last few years. I let myself be beaten there. Not this time," said the German.

After a stunning swim at the German Olympic trials, Maertens was tipped to test the world record of 3:40.07 long held by countryman Paul Biedermann from the era of the now-banned super-suits.

Maertens said he wanted to take down Biedermann's world record and it looked on the cards until the final 50 metres before he faded a little as Winnington finished strongly to claim his second Olympic medal after a relay bronze in Tokyo.

"Yes (for the record), but the goal was definitely a medal. If it had been bronze, it would have been OK," said Maertens.

"I was thinking about gold, and now it's actually come true.

"A lot of people expected the record to fall -- I don't give a shit, I'm on top now."

(Reporting by Ian Ransom; Editing by Hugh Lawson)