Florian Wellbrock swims gold in the new Knockout Sprint!

Florian Wellbrock swims gold in the new Knockout Sprint!

Florian Wellbrock caused enthusiasm at the World Swimming Championships in Singapore. On July 19, 2025, the 27-year-old athlete secured his third gold medal in open water. In the new Knockout Sprint, an exciting competition format, Wellbrock prevailed on Palawan Beach, where he excelled as the fastest swimmer in all three rounds. David Bethlehem of Hungary took the silver medal, while bronze went to France's Marc-Antoine Olivier. Oliver Klemet, the second German participant, had to give up in the semi-finals.

The exciting competition consisted of three rounds of 1500 meters, 1000 meters and 500 meters, in which the slowest swimmers were eliminated after each round. Wellbrock, known for his endurance, was in excellent form, having already won two titles in the previous five and ten kilometer competitions. With a water temperature of over 30 degrees, the finish sprint was a real endurance test for the swimmers and Wellbrock mastered it without any problems.

A master on new paths

The World Championships in Singapore, which began on July 15, 2025, introduced the Knockout Sprint, a format that was held for the first time at a World Cup. This innovative approach provided additional thrills and had the spectators on Palawan Beach literally excited. Cannstatt newspaper highlights that Wellbrock, who trains in Magdeburg under national coach Bernd Berkhahn, showed an impressive performance - not least a year after his disappointing Olympic Games.

There were also exciting competitions for the women. Isabel Gose and Lea Boy narrowly missed the podium in their competition and ended up in fifth place - just two tenths of a second shy of a medal. Gose, who took part in her first World Championships in the open water, showed great potential and will certainly continue to fight for medals in the future.

Outlook for the coming days

The mixed relays are on the program next Sunday. The German team is considered the top favorite. The German Swimming Association (DSV) came with a strong contingent to celebrate further successes in Singapore. The mixed relay team in particular, consisting of Florian Wellbrock, Isabel Gose as well as Oliver Klemet and Celine Rieder, could cause a stir. German Aquatics provides the complete schedule.

Florian Wellbrock's impressive victory in the Knockout Sprint will certainly go down in the history books and will leave you wanting more. The upcoming competitions promise excitement and, above all, a lot of action that no swimming fan should miss!

Antenna Unna continues to report on the progress of the German swimming team.