We've seen some of the stellar international line-up for FINA Swimming World Cup season kick-off event in Berlin. Now it's time to find out about four standout competitors from Germany that will be vying for wins over this extended aquatics-inspired weekend in the German capital.
Florian Wellbrock - Germany
On the side of the host nation, Florian Wellbrock has been the biggest guarantor of success for years. After winning the Olympic title in open water and a bronze in the pool in Tokyo (JPN) 2021, the 25-year-old even won five medals at the 2022 World Championships in Budapest (HUN), something that only one German man, Michael Gross in 1986, had ever achieved before. Before that, he had already won the short course world title in 2021 and set a world record for the first time in the 1500m freestyle. This summer, however, Wellbrock was unfortunately slowed down by Covid-19 and was unable to show his usual strength at the European Championships in Rome (ITA). But he wants to be back in top form by the time of the World Championships in Melbourne (AUS) in December.
Sarah Wellbrock - Germany
Last year, she won Olympic bronze in Tokyo (JPN) under her maiden name Koehler, but since her wedding in December 2021, the 28-year-old now shares the name with her successful husband. In 2022, she has not competed in any international races so far, but has been pushing ahead with her law studies and passed all her written exams in August. Now she is returning to the pool at the FINA Swimming World Cup and will once again be concentrating fully on swimming in the coming years. At the 2024 Olympics in Paris (FRA), she wants to follow in her husband’s footsteps and compete in both the pool and open water.
Isabel Gose - Germany
Isabel Gose had been predicted to have a great career for years. In the junior field, she was a seven-time European champion. After she changed to the training group of coach Bernd Berkhahn in Magdeburg in 2020, she finally managed to succeed in the open class as well. She was sixth at the Olympic Games in Tokyo (JPN) in the 400m freestyle, and this summer she won her inaugural title in this distance at the European Championships in Rome (ITA). In September, there was less time for training, as Isabel has recently been sponsored by the German Armed Forces as a sports soldier and had to complete her basic training course.
Lukas Märtens - Germany
At just 20 years of age, Lukas Märtens has reached the very top of the world this summer, winning silver in the 400m freestyle at the World Championships in Budapest (HUN) and gold at the European Championships in Rome (ITA). The reason for this development is certainly the high level in the Magdeburg training group, where Märtens competes daily with the likes of Florian Wellbrock and Mykhailo Romanchuk (UKR). "It's high-level action there every day. We benefit a lot from each other," says Märtens, who is now also aiming for fast times on the short course.
Ole Braunschweig - Germany
Step by step, Ole Braunschweig has been able to fulfil the dreams of his childhood. First, he qualified for the Olympic Games 2021 in Tokyo, just like his little brother Malte shortly later for the Paralympics. This year he reached his first international final at the World Championships in Budapest (HUN) and then won his first medal at the European Championships in Rome (ITA) with bronze over 50m backstroke. The 24-year-old has now sought new goals and, with his eyes on Paris 2024, also wants to attack the German records over the 100m distance. And of course, he also dreams of a home victory at the FINA Swimming World Cup in Berlin, because the SSE arena is something like his living room.
Who Else is Competing?
Here's some of the top international athletes that will be in Berlin... and in Toronto and Indianapolis stops to the 2022 event series: Top International Athletes at SWC 2022
Athletes for FINA Swimming World Cup 2022: Competition Athletes | FINA Official