Swimming star Florian Wellbrock won his second World Championships medal at the end of the pool competitions in Budapest, but missed out on successfully defending his title.
The 24-year-old had to settle for bronze in the top-class final on Saturday (June 25th, 2022) over 1500 m freestyle after 14:36.94 minutes, his gap to the new world champion Gregorio Paltrinieri (Italy) was more than four seconds.
Paltrinieri and Finke both a little faster
“I’m leaving very satisfied with the bronze medal”said the man from Magdeburg: “At a world championship, especially in this field, it is never a matter of course to get on the podium.” Paltrinieri have it “Great job. I knew that he would start quickly – but I didn’t expect him to start so quickly.”
Second was the American double Olympic champion Bobby Finke. Rio Olympic champion Paltrinieri was on course for a world record right down to the last lane and set a European record of 14:32.80 minutes. Wellbrock’s Magdeburg club colleague Lukas Märtens took fourth place.
Wellbrock, who had won silver in the 800m four days earlier, will still be competing in three open water competitions with a chance of winning in the second week of the World Championships.
Misery is fifth over 50 meters
Breaststroke swimmer Anna Elendt missed her second medal. The 20-year-old finished fifth in the 50m final, staying twelve hundredths over her German record in 30.22 seconds.
Gold went to Lithuanian Ruta Meilutyte, Olympic champion in the 100m ten years ago, ahead of Italian world record holder Benedetta Pilato and South African Lara van Niekerk.
Elendt, who lives and trains in the USA, had won silver over the double distance, but surprisingly failed over the 200 m in the preliminary heat.
Ole Braunschweig is sixth in the backstroke final
In the men’s 50m backstroke final, Ole Braunschweig finished sixth in the American Hunter Armstrong’s victory. The 24-year-old had already fulfilled his target with the final and the German record (24.58) in the run-up. Armstrong’s compatriot Justin Ress, who hit two hundredths earlier than first, was disqualified.
In the German men’s 4×100 meter medley relay, Braunschweig also took sixth place. With Lucas Matzerath, Eric Friese and Rafael Miroslaw, he finished the race in a quartet after 3:32.63 minutes. The team from Italy secured the gold medal in 3:27.51 minutes ahead of the USA and Great Britain.