Florian Wellbrock is again world champion in open water swimming. The 25-year-old won the five-kilometer race on Tuesday, successfully defending his title and celebrating his second victory in his second World Championship competition in Japan. On Sunday he had won over twice the distance and thus already qualified for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
Wellbrock batted ahead of second-placed Gregorio Paltrinieri of Italy and his compatriot Domenico Acerenza. The second German starter Oliver Klemet was fourth. About two hours before Wellbrock’s success in the five-kilometer race, Leonie Beck won the women’s competition. All four open water titles awarded in Fukuoka so far have gone to the dominant German team.
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He’s still on his way to a gold medal: Florian Wellbrock in a five-kilometer race.
(Foto: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Olympic champion Wellbrock won the sixth world championship gold of his career in the sea in front of the Momochi Seaside Park. Born in Bremen, who trains in Magdeburg with long-distance national coach Bernd Berkhahn, played to his strengths right from the start. With an outside temperature of more than 30 degrees and a water temperature of 28.2 degrees, he took the lead early on and swam the race from the front. He also has a lot planned in the pool for the coming week. He is one of the favorites over 800 meters and especially over 1500 meters freestyle.
Wellbrock left it open whether he would compete in the open water relay on Thursday. On the one hand, he could save himself for the pool races – or possibly create something historic: If the German mixed relay wins, a nation would have won all open water races at a World Cup for the first time. The fifth gold for the team of the German Swimming Association is possible.
Leonie Beck swims in the relay race
Unlike Wellbrock, Beck initially held back in her race. In the decisive final phase, however, she swam forward and, after an impressive sprint, won in 59:31.7 minutes in front of Sharon van Rouwendaal from the Netherlands and Ana Marcela Cunha from Brazil. The second German starter Jeannette Spiwoks finished 13th.
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Leonie Beck after her second win in three days.
(Photo: PHILIP FONG/AFP)
After the race, Beck made a heart with his hands and smiled relaxed at the camera. Like Wellbrock, the 26-year-old had already won over ten kilometers and can look forward to the Olympics. “Incredible! I never thought I could win gold now,” she said. “Wow!” At the end of the title fights in Japan, Beck is now looking forward to the relay race on Thursday. There she is one of the narrow favorites with the German team again.
