Latest news with #FlorianWellbrock
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Maertens hails German success after world 400m freestyle gold
Lukas Maertens said German swimming had taken a "big step forward" after he won a nail-biting 400m freestyle gold at the world championships on Sunday, to add to Florian Wellbrock's success in Singapore. Maertens, the Olympic champion and world record holder in the event, pipped Australia's Sam Short by 0.02sec. to become world champion for the first time. Countryman Wellbrock won four golds in the open water events at this year's world championships and Maertens said the German team were enjoying the fruits of their hard work. "I think we did a big step forward, the whole team," said Maertens. "All the girls and guys are a really young team and there are a lot to come. "Now I'm one of the old guys and I'm 23. That means a lot and I'm really proud to be in the German team." Maertens came home in 3min 42.35sec after a fierce battle with Short, the 2023 world champion. South Korea's Kim Woo-min, the reigning world champion, was third in 3:42.60. Maertens was the favourite for the title after breaking the world record in Stockholm in April, a mark that had stood since 2009. But Short fought him every stroke of the way, losing out after an incredible tussle to the finish. "There was a lot of pressure, also as the world record holder, it wasn't easy to fight these guys," said Maertens. "I tried my best, I gave everything, and I'm really happy and proud to be a world champion now. "Germany has a new world champion and that's not usual, I think." Australia's Elijah Winnington, the Paris Olympics silver medallist, surprisingly failed to qualify for the final. Short finished fastest in the morning heats ahead of Maertens. amk/pst
Straits Times
20-07-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Four in four for Germany's open water king Florian Wellbrock at Sentosa
(From left) German swimmers Oliver Klemet, Florian Wellbrock, Celine Rieder and Isabel Gose posing for a group photo after anchor-leg Wellbrock sealed their 4x1,500m victory. SINGAPORE – Few things are predictable when it comes to nature's elements, but off Sentosa's waters, Florian Wellbrock is proving to be one of those rare constants as he won a fourth title in five days at the World Aquatics Championships (WCH) in Singapore. On July 20, the final day of the open water races, there was a familiar sight on the blue pontoon emblazoned 'World Aquatics Singapore 2005' at Palawan Green as the 27-year-old stretched out his hands in delight, while teammates Isabel Gose, Oliver Klemet and Celine Rieder joined in the celebrations. Anchoring his team to victory in the mixed 4x1,500m relay, Wellbrock touched the finish pad first as Germany won in 1hr 9min 13.3sec for their first gold medal in this event since 2022 after finishing fourth in the last two editions. Italy's Barbara Pozzobon, Ginevra Taddeucci, Marcello Guidi and Gregorio Paltrinieri (1:09:15.4) settled for silver, with Hungary's Bettina Fabian, Viktoria Mihalyvari-Farkas, Kristof Rasovszky and David Betlehem (1:09:16.7) third. Just a day before, Wellbrock became the first open water swimmer to win three individual events at the WCH when he clinched the new 3km knockout event, following earlier victories in the 10km and 5km races. The Tokyo Olympic 10km champion held up four fingers to signify his bountiful haul in Singapore, something he had not expected. Germany's Florian Wellbrock holding up four fingers to represent the number of gold medals he won in Singapore. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO 'I tried to be in the top position in the 10km and the rest of the races were like a bonus. I think nobody came here to win four gold medals, not me or anyone else,' he told The Straits Times shortly after the win. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore 1 in 3 vapes here laced with etomidate; MOH working with MHA to list it as illegal drug: Ong Ye Kung Singapore HSA extends hotline hours, launches new platform to report vaping offences Singapore Tampines regional centre set to get more homes, offices and public amenities Multimedia How to make the most out of small homes in Singapore World Diplomats dismissed: Inside the overhaul reshaping Trump's foreign policy Life US tech CEO Andy Byron resigns after viral Coldplay 'kiss cam' video Opinion I thought I was a 'chill' parent. Then came P1 registration Singapore 'God and government are the only things beyond our control,' says Group CEO In the press conference later, Wellbrock was still at a loss for words. 'To be honest, I'm still speechless, so I have no idea (how) I did it, and I'm so proud of my team today,' he said. 'We made history today. The relay is always special... I'm absolutely proud of my team and my own performance.' In the mixed 4x1,500m team relay, four swimmers (two men and two women) swim one lap of 1,500m each. Teams deployed different combinations, with some sending out their male athletes first and ending with their female swimmers, while some opted to start with the women. Australia (Chelsea Gubecka), Italy (Pozzobon), Germany (Rieder), France (Clemence Coccordano) and Hungary (Bettina) all started with female swimmers on the first leg, while teams such as Thailand (Ratthawit Thammananthachote), who led before the first changeover, started with a male swimmer. But by the end of the second leg, Germany were in the top three before capturing the lead in the third leg. Gose, Germany's third swimmer, then handed over to Wellbrock with a healthy lead. Italy's Paltrinieri started the final leg of the race well and closed the gap on Wellbrock, while Betlehem of Hungary was also looking to make it a nervy finish for the Germans. But Wellbrock had enough in the tank to hang on. Wellbrock is not done with his medal harvest just yet. His attention will now shift to indoor swimming, which kicks off on July 27. He is expected to compete in the men's 1,500m freestyle, in which he holds the short course world record. But, for now, his body is in need of a rest. He said: 'All batteries are empty. I think it is a combination of empty body and emotional mind. One week of racing all events is really tough, and especially with the pressure today, I was absolutely happy to finish my competition, and this happened with a great performance. I need a little reset.' Singapore's quartet of Chantal Liew, Kate Ona, Russel Pang and Artyom Lukasevits finished a respectable 14th out of 23 teams in 1:15:39.00, ahead of South Korea (17th), Thailand (18th), Hong Kong (19th) and India (20th). Liew, 26, said she was pleased with the home team's display. 'We can hold our heads high. We were ahead of our South-east Asian rivals Thailand as well as South Korea. Overall, I am really proud of the team,' she said. The final day of open water swimming brings to an end four days of intense battles across the 10k, 5km, 3km knockout sprint and mixed relay races. The waters off Sentosa had been the centre of global attention even before racing began. Following two delays after tests revealed that Escherichia coli bacteria levels in the waters off Sentosa had exceeded World Aquatics thresholds, the events finally kicked off in the afternoon of July 16. This had resulted in punishing conditions of 30.4 deg C for the water temperature during the men's event and 30.8 deg C for the women's, with several swimmers describing it as one of the most gruelling races of their careers while some athletes were unable to complete the opening race. While open water swim events have concluded, attention in Sentosa will now shift to the 37-metre tower that will be the centrepiece of the high diving competition from July 24 to 27.
Qatar Tribune
19-07-2025
- Sport
- Qatar Tribune
Wellbrock eyes record-extending fourth gold
DPA Singapore German star Florian Wellbrock will go for an unprecedented fourth open water swimming gold at the World Aquatics Championships on Sunday in the relay after dominating the individual events. Saturday's 3 kilometre knockout sprint gold, in the first edition of the event at a worlds, followed 10km and 5km gold for the 27-year-old. He is the first man or woman to win three individual gold medals in open water swimming at a World Aquatics Championships. It has been a remarkable return to form for Tokyo 10km Olympic champion Wellbrock, who struggled at last year's Paris Games. 'I have no idea how I did it,' Wellbrock told reporters. 'But I like knockout races, it's so nice because you can feel that every lap is faster. The strategy was to have a good position in the 1500m and 1km, and being in the top position in the 500m.' Wellbrock also races in the pool, picking up silver in the 1,500m freestyle at the Doha worlds last year, and he said that helped him on Saturday. He is slated to race the 1,500m in Singapore in August. 'To be a good open water swimmer, you need the speed from the pool. We can use this speed for the final 500m, and that's so nice,' he added. 'It's so amazing. It wasn't my goal to come here for three golds, but it's so nice to be on top of the podium three times in a row.' It could be four open water golds if he helps Germany triumph in Sunday's 4x1,500m mixed relay. 'I think the key for the whole week is doing a lot of volume for the whole year, so that you are in good preparation for this competition here,' said Wellbrock, who now has 13 world championship medals in open water and the pool. 'You need a lot of energy for the marathon distance, 5km and everything.'
Straits Times
19-07-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Germany's Florian Wellbrock gets historic third open water swimming gold at World Championships
Germany's Florian Wellbrock celebrates after winning the final of the men's 3km knockout sprint open water swimming event during the 2025 World Aquatics Championships at Sentosa. SINGAPORE - History was made in the heat and humidity at Sentosa's Palawan Beach on July 19, when Germany's Florian Wellbrock claimed the men's 3m knockout sprint gold at the World Aquatics Championships for his third title at the ongoing competition. Winner of the 10km freestyle gold at the Tokyo Olympics, as well as multiple world and European titles, the 27-year-old has been dominant in the waters here since the open water swimming competition flagged off on July 16. After clinching the 10km and 5km titles, he added another feather to his cap on July 19 when he topped his 3km knockout sprint heat, semi-final and final to finish in 5min 46 seconds for a hat-trick in Singapore. The first open water swimmer to claim three golds in a single world championships, he could make it four on July 20 if he competes in the mixed relay 4x1,500m alongside German teammates Celine Rieder, Oliver Klemet, and Isabel Gose. Wellbrock, who is also competing in indoor swimming at this championships and holds the short course world record in the 1,500m freestyle, said at the post-race press conference: 'I didn't expect it. It was a completely new situation for me to race the knockout race, so I had no idea how it worked, or what's the best position to start the new heat. 'But it was so much fun, especially at the end, when I could just jump in and go all out.' Making its debut at the world event, the 3km knockout sprint is held in three stages, beginning with two 1,500m heats, where only the top ten from each heat advance to the semi-finals (1,000m). The top ten finishers then proceed to the final sprint of 500m. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Mindef, SAF units among those dealing with attack on S'pore's critical information infrastructure Asia How China's growing cyber-hacking capabilities have raised alarm around the world Asia Autogate glitch at Malaysia's major checkpoints causes chaos for S'porean and foreign travellers Singapore A deadly cocktail: Easy access, lax attitudes driving Kpod scourge in S'pore Singapore 'I thought it was an April Fool's joke': Teen addicted to Kpods on news that friend died Singapore Who decides when you can't? A guide on planning for end-of-life care Singapore Why hiring more teachers makes sense, even with falling student numbers Singapore Bukit Panjang LRT disruption: Train service resumes after power fault affects 13-station line The new category received positive reviews from the swimmers, and though it is shorter than the 5km and 10km, it is still challenging as swimmers have to main speed and endurance throughout, with only 10 minutes of rest between the stages. Wellbrock started strongly and never let up across the three stages to finish top, while Hungary's David Betlehem was second in 5:47.70, and France's Marc-Antoine Olivier placed third (5:51.10) Olympic bronze medallist (10km) Betlehem, 21, was disappointed with his result after is performances in the 2025 season – he won gold in the knockout sprint of the Spanish leg of the Open Water Swimming World Cup, silver in the Portugal open, and bronze in the European Championships. Nonetheless, he told The Straits Times that he was 'very happy' with the knockout sprint format. 'There's always a new start, there's always a clear end, so I have three chances to be the best,' he added. The women's race saw a thrilling final sprint after two fiercely-contested heats and semi-finals. Australia's Moesha Johnson, who claimed gold in the 5km and 10km, took an early lead in the final sprint, but failed in her bid for a third gold as she finished joint-third with Hungary's Bettina Fabian (6:23.10). Despite losing her swimming cap during the 500m final, Ichika Kajimoto kept her cool to take top spot in 6:19.90 for Japan's first open water swimming gold at the championships. Italy's Ginevra Taddeucci clinched the silver in 6:21.90. Kajimoto, who also won bronze in the 5km, said: 'It was a very difficult race, and I think I am a very lucky girl.' Singaporean swimmers Chantal Liew (18:42.0) and Kate Ona (20:01.5) finished 14th and 22nd in their 3km knockout sprint heats, while Artyom Luksevits (17:50.0) and Luke Tan (18:53.3)were 17th and 25th. Lukasevits said: 'This is a much faster-paced race, from start to finish. And it's a lot more tactical, fast in the end, fast in the front, and you kind of play around with the middle.' Hungarian swimmer Fabian hopes to see the new event included in the Olympics. She said: 'People who watch it, they enjoy it, and it's a very fun race so we enjoy it as well. Especially when it can show the athletes; how they prepare for the semifinal, for the final. I think it is a very entertaining story.'
Qatar Tribune
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Qatar Tribune
Wellbrock wins open water gold
Singapore: Germany's Florian Wellbrock won gold in the men's 10-kilometre open water swimming on Wednesday at the World Aquatics championships. The 27-year-old came out on top after 1 hour 59 minutes 55.50 seconds, beating Gregorio Paltrinieri of Italy by 3.70 seconds. Third place went to Australia's Kyle Lee. With an official water temperature of 30.4 degrees Celsius, Wellbrock swam in the leading group from the start and was at the front for most of the race. (DPA)
