Four World Championship starts, four medals: After silver and bronze in the pool, Florian Wellbrock seems to be almost unbeatable in open water swimming. With the fifth precious metal he would set a record.
A historic record is shaking. 40 years ago, Michael Groß won five medals at the swimming world championships in Guayaquil, Ecuador. No other German swimmer has reached this number. But Florian Wellbrock can catch up with the “Albatross”.
Wellbrock can even overtake Groß in terms of the value of the precious metal. If the man from Magdeburg manages to defend his title or place second on his parade route of ten kilometers in open water, he is better than “Albatross” in the medal comparison if you take indoor and outdoor swimming together. Gross’ record from 1982: two golds, one silver, two bronzes – all in the basin. Wellbrock has won two titles over five kilometers and with the 4×1.5-kilometer open water relay, silver in the 800-meter freestyle distance and bronze over 1500 freestyle, each in the pool.
Wellbrock: “I’m really euphoric”
He’s confident enough to be a favorite over the 10K. “I’ve already proven several times that I’m in very, very good shape. I’m really euphoric. As an Olympic champion, I don’t have to hide over the ten kilometers,” said the 24-year-old.
However: four tough, long world championship races are a must. After the relay decision on Sunday, Wellbrock said he felt tired. The same goes for the two other long-term starters Gregorio Paltrinieri from Italy and his friend Mychajlo Romantschuk, who because of the war in Ukraine is now an integral part of coach Bernd Berkhahn’s Magdeburg training group. These two also have four World Cup starts under their belts. “I’m excited about the guys, who are really only here for the open water. Theoretically, they should have a little more energy. But I’ll throw everything in there again, »announced Wellbrock.
One of the determining factors could be the temperatures in Lake Lupa. The heat of the past few days has warmed the water to over 27 degrees. The athletes then need the right tactics and precise nutrition. Wellbrock’s Advantage: The lake is calm, no waves. And warmth doesn’t really bother the Magdeburger. On the contrary. “Those are my conditions,” Wellbrock said after winning the five-kilometer World Cup. The conditions for setting the big record are given.
The next record would then be that of Kristin Otto, who won six medals for East Germany at the 1986 World Cup in Madrid. Wellbrock will probably not be able to attack this record due to his choice of route.
Source: Stern
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