Swimming in Paris: Wellbrock leads relay to title and his third gold

Florian Wellbrock delivered a stellar anchor leg to secure Germany's third gold medal of the European Aquatics Championships in Paris. He led the mixed 4x1.5km open water relay team to victory in the Seine River, adding to his impressive haul at the event.

Wellbrock, alongside teammates Julia Ackermann, Isabel Gose, and Oliver Klemet, overcame strong challenges from Italy and Hungary. Ackermann, the youngest member at 19, kept pace with her female competitors, though she finished her leg 35 seconds behind Turkey's Emir Batur Albayrak. Gose, however, quickly closed the gap, bringing Germany into medal contention alongside Italy and Hungary.

Klemet, who had previously won bronze in the 10km event, took over with an 8.15-second lead over Hungary. He solidified Germany's position, ensuring Wellbrock had a comfortable advantage for the final leg. Despite late surges from Hungary's David Betlehem and Italy's Gregorio Paltrineri, Wellbrock maintained his composure and accelerated in the closing stages to clinch the win.

This victory brings Germany's total medal count in the open water disciplines to four gold medals and one bronze, marking a highly successful championship for the nation.