Swimming World Championship
Olympic champion Wellbrock does without open water relay
Florian Wellbrock from Germany in action. photo
© Xu Chang/XinHua/dpa
Open water Olympic champion Florian Wellbrock will not take part in the relay race at the swimming world championships in Japan. Instead, the world champion over five and ten kilometers is preparing for the second week of the World Championships with the competitions in the pool.
Open Water Olympic Champion Florian Wellbrock will not take part in the relay race at the swimming world championships in Japan. Instead, the world champion over five and ten kilometers is preparing for the second week of the World Championships with the competitions in the pool.
“We found that it’s not that easy to combine these two things and be extremely successful in both,” said long-distance national coach Bernd Berkhahn, referring to open water and pool swimming. “That’s why we decided to switch after the five kilometers and start preparing for the pool swim.”
Instead of Wellbrock, Rob Muffels, together with Oliver Klemet, double world champion Leonie Beck and Lea Boy, should secure the fifth title for the German team in the fifth open water decision of the World Championships (Thursday, 1 a.m. CEST). “I don’t think we have any disadvantages,” said Berkhahn, referring to Muffles. No nation has ever won all gold medals at a World Open Water Championships. Wellbrock is one of the favorites in the pool over 800 and 1500 meters freestyle next week.