Florian Wellbrock won his third gold medal at the Swimming World Championships in Singapore. The 27-year-old could not be beaten in the new Knockout sprint in the open water.
Florian Wellbrock smiled his sensational gold triple. “At the moment it’s still a bit surreal”, said the 27-year-old. “I really wouldn’t have expected it. That came incredibly.” Wellbrock could not be beaten in the new Knockout sprint in the open water. The 27-year-old won ahead of silver winner David Betlehem from Hungary and the Frenchman Marc-Antoine Olivier, who won bronze.
For Wellbrock it was the third gold in the third race of these title fights. He was the first swimmer ever crowned himself at a World Cup for triple world champion in open water. “I’m Mega Happy with the third gold medal”, he said. Wellbrock had already won over 10 and over 5 kilometers in the sea on the Palawan Beach.
The exemption after screwed up Olympic Games
Born in Bremen, who trains with national coach Bernd Berkhahn in Magdeburg, looks like freed in Singapore. Almost a year after his completely screwed up Olympic Games, he celebrates an impressive comeback on the world stage. With the tropical conditions of Southeast Asia, it is very way to cope with. “If I had gone home with bronze, I would have been happy too”, said Wellbrock. In the Knockout sprint, which was held for the first time during a World Cup, three rounds are completed in a quick succession. First, the athletes swim 1,500, then 1,000 and 500 meters in the final. After each round, athletes divide.
Knockout sprint “Knüppelhart from the start”
“Some of the other boys have already tested it a bit during the World Cup. For me it was a premiere. That’s why I only knew what was coming out of stories”, “ said Wellbrock. He thinks the action -packed mode with tight, quick races is a good idea: “It was Knüppelhart from the start. I think it was cool to watch us.”
With more than 30 degrees of water temperature, he showed his class from the start. Before the final, he had been the fastest in his heat of the first round and in the semi -finals. “He did that sovereign”said Berkhahn satisfied. His second starter Oliver Klemet left the semi -finals.
Gose and boy miss the podium
Before that, it was not enough for Isabel Gose and Lea Boy in the same format for the podium. The two Germans took fifth place at the same time. Gose and Boy were only two tenths of a second in third place. For the 23 -year -old gose it was the first appearance at a World Cup in open water. The Japanese Ichika Kajimoto secured the victory. The Italian Ginevra Taddeucci won silver in front of double world champion Moesha Johnson from Australia and the Hungarian Bettina Fabian, who both got bronze.
Fourth gold with the season?
The mixed relay was scheduled for the end of the open water competitions on Sunday (2 a.m./CEST). The German quartet with Isabel Gose, Celine Rieder, Wellbrock and Klemet is also one of the top favorites. In any case, Wellbrock is already happy: “Three gold medals, the relay tomorrow. I’m really excited to see what’s going on.”