The German topped the podium once again in Mexico, claiming gold in the Men’s 3km Knockout Sprint ahead of Marc-Antoine Olivier and David Betlehem.
The 3km Knockout Sprint continues to deliver some of the most exciting racing in the sport, and the final men’s event in Cancún was no different.
The race delivered more of the drama that was witnessed in yesterday’s 10km, and culminated in an extremely close battle for gold between Wellbrock and Betlehem.
As winner of the semifinal, Betlehem chose his preferred position on the pontoon for the final - a privilege which the fastest qualifiers earn.
A strong start from the 23-year-old saw him and Wellbrock racing shoulder-to-shoulder for the majority of the final 500 metre lap.
But Wellbrock kicked up another gear in the final 150 metres, creating a slight lead he cemented with an excellent final turn.
Speaking after the race, the 2020 Olympic Champion said:
“Two golds is a great surprise for me to be honest, I only started my season on 1 October so I didn’t expect this.
“I think everyone was tired from yesterday. I struggled a bit in the second 1000 metre lap, so I didn’t expect the gold after that.
“But I had a really good start in the final lap, I took the first buoy in first place and I think it’s a really important spot for the final 500 metre lap, so it worked pretty well.
“It’s really important to have good turns in the 500 metre sprint, on the last turn I just tried to create a bigger gap to David because he’s really fast - one of the fastest especially in the sprint.”
Wellbrock is part of the same training group as Moesha Johnson, who both train under coach Bernd Berkhahn. Speaking on their joint-dominance at this event, he added:
“Moesha is really strong and she’s been dominating the women’s races for a long time.
“To work with Moesha and Bernd it’s so much fun and I enjoy every moment at home in Magdeburg and it’s a great way to be competitive for these events.”
Upgrade to Silver for Betlehem
The Hungarian Olympic silver medallist also found his second podium of the meet with silver behind Wellbrock, a result which he was very happy with given the ‘tough race’.
With three laps to swim in the 3km Knockout Sprint - 1500 metres, 1000 metres followed by a 500 metre sprint - tactics play a huge part in this race.
“It was very tough. The 1500 metre lap was hard but I felt really good in the second (1000 metres) and I was able to win that.
“So I felt good heading into the last 500 metre round, but it was a tough race. Florian started very hard, so I was trying to just go next to him.
“Then on the last buoy, I got stuck which was unfortunate, but it was a great finish, so I'm happy that I was able to go very close to him.”
Speaking on the importance of nailing the skills in shorter-form racing, he added: “In the 500m, if you start well and have a good first turn, it’s difficult to not be on the podium.
“I had a great first turn so had the biggest advantage, but then not having the best line coming into the finish meant that there wasn’t enough time for me to catch up.
“It’s a really fun race, so maybe when I’m in better shape I can beat him [Florian].”
Redemption for Olivier after Disappointing 10km
The ‘king of consistency’, as he is affectionately known, was back in medal-winning form on day two of competition after a disappointing result in the 10km.
The veteran finished 18th there, commenting: “Yesterday was difficult, it wasn’t the result I wanted.
“I started well and felt good enough to win the sprint lap, and after that I tried to stay focused and save my energy.
“But when the field pushed the pace in the last lap, I didn’t have the energy to keep up.”
Olivier certainly had the energy today, however, and posted a tactical masterclass across the three rounds.
With a game-plan of saving energy across the opening two laps, he held off challenges from fourth and fifth-place finishers Andrea Filadelli and Marcello Guidi to claim bronze.
“I'm happy today because I found another solution to win another medal,” he said.
“So I'm delighted to be back on the podium. It's the beginning of the season as well, so it's a good start.”
In sixth was home-favourite Paulo Strehlke Delgado who posted his best result of the meet after finishing 11th in the 10km.
Italy showed their strength over this shorter-distance race with four athletes in the final, with Davide Marchello and Fabio Dalu finishing seventh and ninth, respectively.
Australia’s Bailey Armstrong had a stand-out performance and posted his best result at a World Cup since before the 2025 season by touching home eighth.
20-year-old Leonardo Brandt De Macedo rounded out the top ten in what is an event he continues to show impressive form in; his best result coming at the Ibiza edition in 2026 where he finished seventh.