It's more than just a bold guess that July 27 has become Lukas Martens' day of his life.
After the 23-year-old German made history in the 400-meter freestyle at the 2024 Paris Olympics, winning gold on that very day, exactly one year later, the 2022 European Champion added another remarkable chapter to his "lucky day."
At the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, Martens claimed his first world title with a time of 3:42.35, finishing ahead of Australian Samuel Short and South Korea's Kim Woo-min.
"If people ask me about this day, goose bumps run down my back," the SC Magdeburg athlete admitted, "I tattooed that day onto my body. I can't describe the meaning of this day; it will forever be my Olympic day."
Over the past year, Martens demonstrated his talent by beating the longstanding world record of American Paul Biederman by 0.11 seconds on April 12.
He became the first athlete to break the four-minute barrier in the 400-meter freestyle, finishing in 3:39.65.
Following his Olympic success, the German athlete acknowledged the importance of setting new goals.
"If you win the Olympic gold medal, you somehow have to re-launch yourself. You must fight the feeling, you have already won everything at a fairly young age," he said.
In response, Germany restructured his training routines and increased collaboration with a sports psychologist.
He said he needed outside inspiration. "I got that from our national coach Bernd Berkhahn, teammates, family, and friends."
The support is taking him "out of all motivational lows."
Berkhahn showed him the way back to emotional stability, emphasizing that "you need to stay at the top and maintain a competitive level."
For Martens, swimming has become "like meditation. When you get into that flow, you forget all your training efforts."
Shortly after the 2024 Paris Olympics, he had nasal septum surgery and fought his way back, admitting he went through a "difficult time," though ultimately seeing it as a welcome break that helped clear his mind.
Following his world record performance, the German devoted himself fully to his goals and went all-in on July 27, 2025.
His gold medal in Singapore completed his World Championships collection, having previously earned a silver in 2022 and two bronze medals. "I am thrilled. Nobody can believe how this day, the 27th of July changed my life," the German said.
- Lukas Maertens
- Swiming
- Gold
Source: www.dailyfinland.fi
