What a comeback! Wellbrock swims to open water World Championship gold
What a comeback! Almost a year after his disastrous Olympic Games, exceptional swimmer Wellbrock shines at the World Championships. He defies even difficult conditions in open water.
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 very strong 10-kilometer race ahead of Gregorio Paltrinieri of Italy. For Wellbrock, it was the sixth open water world championship title of his career.
But the success is surely a very special one for him. After all, Wellbrock won just under a year after experiencing huge disappointments at the Paris Olympic Games. Wellbrock was unexpectedly eliminated in the preliminary rounds of the 800 and 1500-meter freestyle and also missed out on the medal he was hoping for in the open water race on the Seine.
Doubts and a lengthy break from competition characterized the time that followed. Wellbrock even considered ending his career, but decided to stick with it. 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 handled the difficult conditions at Palawan Beach best. His race had previously been postponed once, and the women's race twice, due to poor water quality. Measurements had shown that the limits specified in the rules were exceeded. These are intended to protect the athletes' health. Now the organizers have given the green light.
With the water temperature officially at 30.4 degrees Celsius and the heat even higher on land, Wellbrock swam in the leading group from the start, even leading most of the way. On the final lap, he also fended off Paltrinieri's attack and remained in first place.
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