Olympia 2021: Florian Wellbrock swims to gold in a triumphant way

VPumped out oily and gasping for air, Florian Wellbrock lies on the blue carpet on the harbor promenade of Odaiba. The sun slams mercilessly in his face, behind him is the rainbow bridge and a supervisor puts a white towel over his face. A few seconds earlier, after ten exhausting kilometers, he emerged from the almost 30 degrees warm water of Tokyo Bay. Now he gets up slowly and triumphantly stretches his right arm into the sky: Olympic victory!

The 23-year-old double world champion is using his third chance for the golden coup in Tokyo and after finishing third and fourth in the pool is crowned Olympic champion. Even more: he swims a brave race from the start, shocked the competition with a quick start, showed no weakness and clearly set himself apart on the last kilometer. When he strikes after 1: 48: 33.7 hours, a world lies between him and the pursuers. Kristof Rasovszky (Hungary, 1: 48: 59.0) won the silver medal ahead of Gregorio Paltrinieri (Italy, 1: 49: 01.1). Elmshorn’s Rob Muffels is eleventh (1: 53: 03.3).

“It’s a bit unreal,” says Wellbrock with the medal around his neck. “I actually had a bit of frustration after the pool competitions. But that gave me a lot of motivation for the last race. Now I’ve been rewarded with gold. And it feels incredibly good. “Later Paltrinieri said appreciatively:” Florian swam today as if from another planet. “

Wellbrock’s triumph is phenomenal in several respects: a German has never won Olympic gold in open water. In 2012 in London, Thomas Lurz won the last Olympic medal to date with silver. In addition, Wellbrock is crowned the first German Olympic swimming champion in 33 years. Back then, at the 1988 Games in Seoul, “Albatros” Michael Groß (200 meters butterfly) and Uwe Daßler (400 meters freestyle) triumphed in the pool.

“Florian dominated the field from the start and couldn’t be stopped. He created something historical with the first Olympic victory in open water for Germany, ”says world record holder Paul Biedermann enthusiastically. “Winning a medal in the pool and in the open water is a league of its own and speaks for the exceptional talent Florian Wellbrock.”

Wellbrock shocked the competition at the start

The competition day for the athletes starts extremely early this Thursday morning. Because of the heat, the organizers had already scheduled the triathlon and open water races in the Odaiba Marine Park at 6.30 a.m. last year. And this morning is extreme: almost 30 degrees outside and water temperature, not a single cloud in the sky, no wind, the water is as smooth as a mirror. It is 6:20 a.m. when the protagonists take the stage. Rob Muffels with the start number ten on his upper arm, shortly after him his training colleague and good friend Florian Wellbrock with the black twelve on his arm and a white towel over his head.

also read

At 6.30 am, the starting shot breaks through the idyll in Tokyo Bay. The fight in the water begins – with the opponents, but also with the conditions. For comparison: the water temperature in the lap pool of most public baths is around 24 degrees. Now the sun hits the water, heating it up further. Team doctor Alexander Beck compared the conditions with the rigors of a march through the desert.

So take it easy first, the race is long. At least that’s what national coach Bernd Berkhahn said the day before. Wellbrock does the opposite. Less than five meters of the ten kilometers have passed when the 23-year-old has taken the lead in the field – and rushes away with calm, long arm strokes. The competition seems perplexed. Arm stroke by arm stroke, he separates himself, placing several body lengths between himself and the rest of the field.

After the first of seven of the 1.43-kilometer laps, he grabs his drinks bottle with a clear lead at the supply station. Wellbrock turns on his back, drinks, and inspects the field. Quiet, not hectic. The French Marc-Antoine Olivier takes less time, does a few meters and is 6.4 seconds behind the second lap, followed by the Hungarian Kristof Rasovszky.

The pursuers are approaching

The field is divided into three parts, already now. Wellbrock in front, then his two pursuers, and 21 seconds behind Wellbrock Muffels leads the rest of the swimmers. At the second and third stops at the refreshment station, the same picture as before: Wellbrock takes a little more time than Olivier, the Frenchman comes closer – after 4.3 kilometers, the German is 1.6 seconds ahead, Rasovszky is 2.7 seconds return. Behind them, the Italian Gregorio Paltrinieri, 1500 meter Olympic champion from Rio and second in the 800 meters from Tokyo, has positioned himself. The field of pursuit has been torn apart, Muffels have fallen behind.

also read

At the back, however, the pace is made. Some want to prevent the three at the top from settling the medals among themselves. They swim up to it, close the gap to within a few meters. After the fifth lap, Wellbrock is three seconds ahead of Rasovszky and Olivier, Paltrinieri and the Greek Athanasios Kynigakis are two seconds behind. It’s getting tighter at the top.

The last round. Wellbrock is still in front, pushing his arm pull by arm pull powerfully through the water. Paltrinieri is in direct pursuit, five seconds behind him. Then Rasovszky and Olivier (+7.4 seconds), followed by the Israeli swimmer Matan Roditi. 1.43 kilometers to go to Olympic victory.

Twice already he swam towards the gold

However, in Tokyo it has already looked twice as if Wellbrock was swimming to gold. In the previous week’s pool competitions, he was the leader in the 800-meter race on the last lane – and in the end was passed in fourth place, just missing out on bronze. And that, although the last train is actually the strength of the German. In the 1500 meter race, he also led up to 1450 meters – and ended up swimming in third place. Give up victory in the last few meters? He didn’t want to see that again.

also read

And this time it works. Wellbrock picks away, pushes itself away from the competition. Put meter by meter between yourself and the rest. Inimitable. Nobody can follow anymore.