Swimming World Championships: Florian Wellbrock wins World Championship gold in open water
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Almost a year after his disastrous Olympic Games, the exceptional German swimmer shines at the World Championships, braving extremely difficult conditions in Singapore.
Florian Wellbrock won the gold medal in the open water at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, which were dominated by discussions about water quality. The 27-year-old prevailed in a strong ten-kilometer race ahead of Gregorio Paltrinieri of Italy. For Wellbrock, it was the sixth world championship title in open water in his career. But the success must be a very special one for him. After all, Wellbrock won just under a year after experiencing a huge disappointment at the Paris Olympic Games. Back then, Wellbrock was surprisingly eliminated in the preliminary round of the 800 and 1500 meter freestyle and also missed out on the medal he had hoped for in the open water race in the Seine.
Doubts and a lengthy break from competition characterized the time that followed. Wellbrock even considered ending his career, but decided to continue. The Bremen native meticulously prepared in Magdeburg with national coach Bernd Berkhahn for the season's highlight in Singapore. There, he shone in the very first race. He mastered the difficult conditions on Palawan Beach with the best of his ability.
His race had previously been postponed once, and the women's race twice, due to poor water quality. Measurements had shown that the limit values specified in the rules had been exceeded: the aim is to protect the health of the athletes by not swimming if, for example, too many E. coli bacteria are measured in the water. However, the organizer gave the green light for Wednesday. The water temperature also fell just below the limit of 31 degrees. With the water temperature officially at 30.4 degrees Celsius and it being even hotter on land, Wellbrock swam in the leading group from the start, and was at the front for most of the race. On the final lap, he fended off an attack from Paltrinieri and held on to first place. His club colleague Oliver Klemet, the Olympic silver medalist in Paris, missed out on bronze in fourth place by just a tenth of a second.
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