Short Course World Cup: As a spectator to silver: Wellbrock’s strange World Cup medal

Florian Wellbrock was condemned to watch at the edge of the pool. The 27-year-old won what was probably his most unusual swimming medal at the Short Course World Championships: he smiled about silver not in the water, but in the stands.

Wellbrock finished in the 1500 meter freestyle in Budapest in the morning after 14:17.27 minutes. Before the last run in the evening, which Wellbrock followed in his tracksuit, he didn’t know what this time was worth. In the end only one was faster. The Tunisian Ahmed Jaouadi secured gold just ahead of Wellbrock.

“That wasn’t to be expected at first because I took quite a long break after the Olympic Games – which was also important,” said Wellbrock to the ARD radio, satisfied after his strong race at the time. Before the decisive run, he explained to the audience in the hall from his seat: “It’s strange to sit here.” It was shown again and again while Jaouadi was swimming.

In major title competitions such as the Olympics, preliminary heats usually take place in which the swimmers can qualify for a final. At the World Championships on the 25-meter track, things are different this time on the longest distances. Each athlete only has one chance to deliver a fast time. Because Wellbrock hasn’t swum any short course races recently and therefore couldn’t show a quick registration time, he was already challenged in the morning.

The Bremen native, who trains in Magdeburg with national long-distance coach Bernd Berkhahn, has had a difficult year. He experienced a debacle at the Paris Summer Games. In Hungary, where he also wants to compete in the 800 meter freestyle, he wants to have a conciliatory end to the year – and something else.

“First of all, have fun again,” said Wellbrock as his goal. “This is actually what has been lost on me over the last few months or maybe even years.” The silver medal right at the start will help.

World records tumble on the first day

The spectators in the Duna Aréna were also treated to plenty of action in the other races on the first day of the World Championships. There were individual world records on four routes.

In the 400 meter freestyle, 18-year-old Canadian Summer McIntosh set a record of 3:50.25 minutes. The American Gretchen Walsh (50 meter butterfly/23.94 seconds), her compatriot Kate Douglass (200 meter individual medley/2:01.63 minutes) and the Swiss Noe Ponti (50 meter butterfly/21.43 seconds) also shone with world records.