As of: February 2, 2024, 10:51 p.m
By: Andreas Knobloch
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At the Swimming World Championships, all eyes will be on Florian Wellbrock, including those of his wife, who was once a world record holder herself.
Munich – It is the next major event that the Middle East has grabbed.
After the World Cup, the World Swimming Championships will also take place in Qatar.
From February 2nd to 28th, the top athletes in the emirate will fight for gold, silver and bronze.
The seven-time world champion Florian Wellbrock from Germany could also try to fill his medal cabinet again, but the goal is different.
Florian Wellbrock before the Swimming World Cup: The goal is the Olympics
At 26 years old, Wellbrock, who was born in Bremen, is challenged: “The big goal, what everything leads to, is simply Paris,” Wellbrock told the
sports information service
before the competition.
As an open water specialist, he even won Olympic gold in Tokyo in 2020.
Wellbrock’s goal in Doha is to finish “fourth and be the fastest German” in order to secure one of the Olympic tickets for the summer of 2024.
At the World Championships in Japan six months ago, after winning double gold in the open water, the man from Magdeburg completely unexpectedly failed in the heats of the 800 and 1500 m freestyle and was therefore far from being recommended for Paris.
Florian Wellbrock and his wife Sarah: Both won several medals in the water
Wellbrock's emotional support is his wife, with whom he swims on the same wave.
She also has a lot of experience in the pool.
Many sports fans may know her as Sarah Köhler, who also took the name Wellbrock after her wedding.
There are hardly any more swimming genes in a marriage in Germany.
The charcoal-burner native also once held a world record.
The two easily fit into the club of German sports dream couples, which is peppered with well-known names such as Neureuther and Schweinsteiger.
In mid-November 2019, she set a new world record in the 1,500 meter freestyle at the German Short Course Championships, which was only broken by US icon Katie Ledecky in 2022.
She was also on the podium in Tokyo, winning Olympic bronze in the 1500 meter freestyle.
The now 29-year-old won gold at the five-kilometer open water World Championships in 2019.
In December 2021 she said yes to Florian in Bremen.
In contrast to her husband, Sarah Wellbrock has now gone underground and retired from swimming.
She announced her departure to her fans in a lengthy statement on June 14, 2023.
In the first week, the open water double world champion Wellbrock will defend their title over 5 and 10 km in the Old Port of Doha.
He now wants to check the qualification for 800 and 1500 meters in Doha and will compete again on both courses.
Fingers and fins are crossed - especially with Sarah.
(ank with SID material)