Denis Loktev

Denis Loktev (דניס לוקטב; born 4 June 2000) is an Israeli Olympic swimmer. He won a bronze medal at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in the men's 200m freestyle, as well as the 2018 European Junior Swimming Championship in the men's 4x200m freestyle. He competed at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the 200m freestyle. Loktev will represent Israel at the 2024 Paris Olympics at the Paris La Défense Arena in the 200 metre freestyle, 4×100 metre freestyle relay, and 4×200 metre freestyle relay on July 27-31, 2024.

Early and personal life
Loktev was born and lives in Ashdod, Israel. On 7 October 2023, his family in Ashdod was hit by rocket barrages from Gaza in the 7 October attacks.

Swimming career
Loktev started swimming when he was six years old, in the Maccabi Ashdod Association, swimming twice a week, and when he was seven he began swimming every day. He competes in 100m freestyle, 100m medley, 200m free, 400m free, 4x100m free, 4x100m free mixed, 4x200m free, 4x200m free, and 4x50m free. He trained at the Wingate Institute in Netanya, Israel. His club is Maccabi Ashdod.

2016–20; European Junior Champion and Maccabiah Games Champion
In July 2016, Loktev won a bronze medal at the 2016 European Junior Swimming Championships in Hódmezővásárhely, Hungary, in the men's 4x200m freestyle. In June 2017, he won a bronze medal at the 2017 European Junior Swimming Championships in Netanya, Israel, in the men's 4x200m free. In July 2017 at the 2017 Maccabiah Games he won the gold medal in the men’s 200m free.

In July 2018, he won a gold medal at the 2018 European Junior Swimming Championships in Helsinki, Finland, in the men's 4x200m freestyle, and a silver medal in the 200m freestyle with a 1:47.95. In October 2018 Loktev won a bronze medal at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in the men's 200m freestyle.

In March 2019, Loktev won the 400m freestyle with a 3:52.40 and the 200 L freestyle with a 1:48.67 at the 2019 Fédération Française de Natation Golden Tour Camille Muffat in Marseille, France. In April 2019, he set a new Israeli national record in the 400m free with a 3:51.45 at the Stockholm Open. The same month he won a silver medal at the Israel Cup in the 200m free, with a 1:48.47. In May 2019 at the 2019 Speedo Grand Challenge in Irvine, California, he won a silver medal in the 400m free super-final, at 3:54.50, and a bronze medal in the 200 L Fly, in a time of 2:03.75. In July 2019 he competed in the men's 400 metre freestyle at the 2019 World Aquatics Championships. In December 2019 at Swim Cup Amsterdam in the Netherlands, he won a silver medal in the 200 L Free in a time of 1:48.64, and a bronze medal in the 400 L Free in a time of 3:53.56.

2020 Tokyo Olympics (in 2021)
Loktev competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics in July 2021 in Tokyo in the 200m freestyle where he finished 27th. His time was 1:47.68, as he missed making the semi-finals by 1.42 seconds.

2021–present; Israeli national records
Loktev attends the University of Louisville, and swims for the Louisville Cardinals. In his freshman season, Loktev finished 8th at the 2022 NCAA Championships in Atlanta, Georgia, in the 800 freestyle relay (1:33.16). At the ACC Conference Championships, Loktev led his team to a second-place finish in the 800 freestyle relay (1:33.28).

He qualified for the 2023 World Championships in the 200m freestyle for Israel, and set a new Israeli national record as he won the gold medal in the June 2023 Israeli Championships in the event with a 1:46.17; through June, Loktev was the 15th-fastest swimmer at that distance in the world in 2023. At the championships he also won a gold medal in the 200m butterfly with a time of 2:00.55, and a silver medal in the 100m freestyle in a new personal best time of 48.54 seconds.

As a sophomore, at the 2023 NCAA Championships in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Loktev swam the second leg of the 800 Free Relay, splitting 1:33.07 as the team swam a 6:12.25. At the ACC Championships, he won a silver medal as part of the 800 Free Relay team with a 6:11.26 -- the third-fastest time in school history. At the 2022 European Championships in Rome, Loktev was a part of the Israeli 4x200 freestyle relay team that finished 5th. He also helped the 4x200 freestyle mixed relay finish sixth in the finals with a leadoff split of 1:47.66 as the team posted a 7:38.45.

At the June 2024 European Aquatics Championships, Loktev teamed in the 200x4 freestyle with Bar Soloveychik, Eitan Ben Shetrit, and Gal Cohen Groumi and they finished 19 hundredths of a second from a bronze medal, as they came in fourth with a time of 7:09.92 minutes.

As of June 2024 his long course personal best in the 100m free was 48.54 in October 2023, and in the 200m free was 1:46.17 in September 2023.

2024 Paris Olympics
Loktev will represent Israel at the 2024 Paris Olympics at the Paris La Défense Arena in the 200 metre freestyle, 4×100 metre freestyle relay, and 4×200 metre freestyle relay on July 27-31, 2024. He said that in the wake of the 7 October attacks: "We must do everything so that in the summer we can represent the country in the best possible way on the biggest stage in the world, the Olympic Games in Paris, and this is what gives me the motivation to train with all my might every day."