Title fights in Qatar
Relay missed World Cup medal in open water swimming
Leonie Beck was unable to win a medal in the relay at the World Championships in Doha. photo
© Jo Kleindl/dpa
The German open water swimmers leave Doha without a World Cup medal. It’s not enough in the season either, but only just.
The German open water swimmers are leaving one for the first time since 2017 World Championships without a medal. At the end of the World Championships in this discipline, the relay team also missed out on medals.
Leonie Beck, Celine Rieder, Oliver Klemet and Arne Schubert took fourth place in the 4 x 1500 meters in 1:04:11.60 hours. The team from Australia celebrated the title. Silver went to Italy and bronze went to Hungary. Germany was still in third place at the last change. On the final lap, 17-year-old Schubert had to let 10-kilometer world champion Kristof Rasovszky overtake him.
The Germans had already missed the podium places they were aiming for over five and ten kilometers in the individual race in Qatar. Beck and Florian Wellbrock each started as defending champions in the port of Doha, but were unable to take part in the fight for precious metal. Exceptional swimmer Wellbrock decided not to start the relay. He is relying on regeneration and wants to fight for medals in the pool races next week.