Lewis Clareburt has grown up in and around the water. Clareburt learnt to swim with the TSW Dolphins and recalls being tested to see how long he could hold his breath at the end of each lesson – a skill that has certainly come in handy with the demands of his pet event, the 400m individual medley.

Spending time at the pool as a youngster and watching his sisters at training spurred him on to join the sport. Originally from Wellington, he has spent a large portion of his career at Capital Swim Club and trained under coach Gary Hollywood from age sixteen, with the partnership going on to earn a plethora of medals on the international stage.

Clareburt made his international debut at the 2016 Junior Pan Pacific Championships and won seven medals at the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games.

A late call-up to the 2018 Commonwealth Games saw Clareburt make his debut as Aquablack #257 on the Gold Coast. Clareburt had an impressive debut, winning bronze in the 400m individual medley.

In 2019, he won bronze in the same event at the FINA World Championships in Gwangju, qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics. 

Day one of the Olympic Games in Tokyo saw Clareburt take on the 400m individual medley where he broke the Commonwealth record in the heats. However, Australian Brendon Smith lowered the Commonwealth mark one heat later. Clareburt progressed to the final and ultimately placed seventh. Days later, Clareburt would make his second Olympic final, where he broke the New Zealand record in the 200m individual medley to finish eighth.

One month after reaching two finals at the 2022 FINA World Championships, Clareburt was electric at the Commonwealth Games – taking home two gold and a bronze medal. He reclaimed the Commonwealth record on his way to gold in the 400m individual medley and took down the reigning Commonwealth Games champion, Chad le Clos, in the 200m butterfly to earn his second gold medal. He rounded out his campaign by winning bronze in the 200m individual medley.

At the 2023 World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Clareburt notched a best finish of sixth place in the 400m individual medley. Later that year, Clareburt moved to Auckland to join coach Mitch Nairn at Club 37. 

Shortly after, he was crowned world champion in the 400m individual medley at the 2024 World Aquatics Championships. In doing so, Clareburt became the second New Zealander to win gold at a World Aquatics Championships and the first male to do so. 

Competing at his second Olympic Games in Paris, Clareburt's placed sixth in the 400m individual medley – marking his highest placing at an Olympic Games. He also placed 14th in the 200m individual medley and 21st in the 200m butterfly.

Clareburt notched a highest finish of fifth place at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships, achieving the feat in the 200m individual medley where he reset his national record. He also placed 10th in both the 400m individual medley and 200m butterfly.

Senior pinnacle international medal record

World Aquatics Championships – 1 x gold, 1 x bronze

Commonwealth Games – 2 x gold, 2 x bronze