Olympic champion Florian Wellbrock is aiming for gold several times at the swimming world championships in Budapest. Competition also comes from your own training group.
From Friday (June 17th, 2022), the 24-year-old wants to defend his two world titles in the pool (1500 meters) and open water (10 kilometers) and finally end the 800-meter curse.
“You go to the edge of the pool and you want gold”
The times of understatements are over after his coup in Tokyo. “At my level you go to the edge of the pool and want gold. I don’t have to stand there and have my pants full”, Wellbrock told the NDR. One notices: As an Olympic champion and double world champion, Wellbrock has developed a different self-image, even if he “still left and right” look
The man from Magdeburg loves competition – and it couldn’t be any bigger in his own training group. Lukas Märtens, four years his junior, swam in April with three world best times and a German record over 800 meters freestyle from Wellbrock’s shadow. After the beginning of the war, they were joined by the Ukrainian double European champion Michailo Romantschuk.
Jealousy doesn’t matter
The top trio pushes themselves to peak performance, and it is not uncommon for Wellbrock to lose out. “But then he fights back and takes it as an incentive,” praised head coach Bernd Berkhahn. There are no jealousies, Wellbrock assured. “We shake hands after every tough session and look into each other’s eyes again”he says, “doesn’t matter who was the fastest”.
In Budapest, however, he wants to be number one – first in the Duna Arena over 800 and 1500 meters freestyle and later in his triple start in Lupasee.
Exciting balancing act between pool and open water
In order to survive this marathon, Wellbrock placed more value on basic stamina and the ability to regenerate during the preparation. “You’ll see how that affects his speed in the pool.”said Berkhahn, “I’m curious.”
Medals should not only come from the swimmers, water polo, diving and synchronized swimming will also get down to business in Budapest. In the first week of the World Championships, the pool swimmers and synchronized swimmers are challenged.
Misery and Gose with opportunities
In addition to Wellbrock and Märtens, freestyle specialist Isabel Gose and breaststroke swimmer Anna Elendt are also candidates for the podium. Elendt focuses primarily on the 100-meter distance and, as she told HR, sees potential for improvement: “There are still many construction sites that I am working on. For example my diving train or my start.”
Patrick Hausding, who is a guarantor of the medal and who has ended his career, is missing from the water jumpers. Tina Punzel and Lena Hentschel, who won bronze in synchronized diving from the three-meter board at the Olympic Games last year, have the best chances of winning a medal.
Russia and Belarus excluded
There is no competition from Russia and Belarus. After much hesitation, Fina excluded athletes from both nations from all events organized by Fina at the end of March.
The world association had previously allowed these athletes to start under a neutral flag and received harsh criticism for this. Germany and Switzerland had announced a boycott if Russian and Belarusian athletes were allowed to start.