Schwimm-EM: Wellbrock gewinnt auch Gold über 5 Kilometer
Overcoming illness-plagued training blocks, German swimmer Florian Wellbrock secured a second consecutive title in Paris by winning the 5-kilometer open-water race.
When Florian Wellbrock arrived in the French capital for the European Championships, his physical condition was so compromised by illness breaks that he privately aimed for nothing higher than a top-ten finish. Yet just 24 hours after claiming gold over the olympic distance, the 28-year-old German swimmer baffled even himself by seizing a second consecutive title in the Seine, conquering the 5-kilometer open-water race in 55:40,2 minutes.
The stark contrast between Wellbrock's disastrous training blocks and his commanding tactical masterclass in Paris defines his remarkable resurgence. Sapped by multiple health interruptions during the season, the Magdeburg athlete confessed that his preparation had fallen so far behind that teilweise musste ich mit den Mädels dieses Jahr trainieren, weil ich für die Jungs einfach zu langsam war
, as reported by Zeit. Despite those setbacks, he reprised his podium-topping dominance over the Hungarian silver medalist David Betlehem, who finished in 55:42,6 minutes, and Italian defending champion Gregorio Paltrinieri, who clocked 55:44,7 minutes, according to Sportschau.
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The race unfolded under watchful eyes both at the riverbank and from afar. Bundestrainer Bernd Berkhahn admitted to tracking the action with intense emotion, describing how he watched the broadcast and immer den Fernseher angeschrieben und dem Florian Anweisungen gegeben, was er machen sollte
via Zeit. Initially, training partner Oliver Klemet shot to the front of the pack, but Wellbrock took control during the first of four laps and stubbornly defended his lead against repeated challenges. While Wellbrock maintained his rhythmic, steady pace—benefiting briefly when Hungary's Kristof Rasovszky stumbled at a pre-final-lap turn—Betlehem forced a fierce acceleration on the final 600 meters, only to be easily blocked off by Wellbrock's trademark finishing sprint, according to Mdr.
Oliver Klemet, who opened the competition with a bronze medal over the 10-kilometer distance, could not match his earlier pace and finished tenth in 56:34,0 minutes, according to Faz. For Wellbrock, the double gold represents complete emotional closure at the exact location where he suffered the bitterest disappointment of his career during the 2024 Olympic Games, where he placed eighth in the open water after crashing out of the 800-meter and 1500-meter pool heats.
"Ich weiß gar nicht was ich sagen soll. Ich habe einfach mein Programm abgespult und mit nichts gerechnet - und bin jetzt mit der zweiten Goldmedaille rausgekommen, das ist unglaublich"
Florian Wellbrock, Open-water swimmer, via NDR
Beyond physical recovery, Wellbrock credited a fundamental shift in perspective for his turnaround. Working alongside a sports psychologist, he deliberately lowered his self-inflicted pressure, embracing a philosophy that im Endeffekt ist es nur Sport
and noting that mental coaching played a substantial role in reshaping his mindset, per Zeit. Having opted out of the pool events in Paris entirely, the quadruple world champion from the previous year's World Aquatics Championships in Singapore now dares to eye a total sweep reminiscent of his Asian campaign, though he has cautioned himself to keep expectations grounded.
The grueling Parisian schedule leaves little time to celebrate. Wellbrock and Klemet are scheduled to compete in the knockout sprint on Friday and the team relay on Saturday, following Ndr and Sportschau.
Taktische Dominanz und mentale Stärke
Der Rennverlauf spiegelte die taktische Reife des Magdeburgers wider. Wie unter anderem MDR und Sportschau berichteten, setzte sich Oliver Klemet unmittelbar nach dem Start an die Spitze des Teilnehmerfeldes, bevor Wellbrock bereits in der ersten von insgesamt vier Runden die Führung übernahm. Trotz des dichten Feldes, in dem sich neben David Betlehem und Gregorio Paltrinieri auch der Franzose Sacha Velly sowie der ungarische Olympiasieger Kristof Rasovszky in Lauerposition befanden, kontrollierte der 28-Jährige das Tempo mit einem rhythmisch ruhigen Stil. Ein Patzer Rasovszkys bei der Wende vor der vorletzten Runde spielte dem deutschen Schwimmer zusätzlich in die Karten, ehe Betlehem auf den letzten 600 Metern noch einmal einen heftigen Angriff startete, den Wellbrock jedoch mit einem unnachahmlichen Schlussspurt mühelos abwehrte.
| Athlet | Nation | Zeit |
|---|---|---|
| Florian Wellbrock | Deutschland | 55:40,2 Minuten |
| David Betlehem | Ungarn | 55:42,6 Minuten |
| Gregorio Paltrinieri | Italien | 55:44,7 Minuten |
Die enorme Leistungssteigerung im Vergleich zu den durch Krankheit geprägten Trainingswochen sorgte beim Athleten selbst für Erstaunen. Bundestrainer Bernd Berkhahn begleitete das Rennen am Ufer der Seine ebenfalls mit maximaler Anspannung und äußerte sich laut Zeit begeistert über die anhaltend hohe Geschwindigkeit, die der Athlet vom Start weg anschlug.
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