GERMAN SWIMMER FLORIAN WELLBROCK: "MY FIRST TIME IN ROME TO COMPETE AGAINST MY FRIENDS ROMANCHUK AND PALTRINIERI"

Can you be big rivals and have a good relationship? Yes, as demonstrated by the bond between Mysha Romanchuck (UKR), Florian Wellbrock (GER) and Gregorio Paltrinieri (ITA). They compete against each other in the sea and in the pool, and this time it will be special because the European championships take place at home for one of them. Tomorrow, 16 August, there will be a huge battle in the men's 1500m freestyle. We talked about it with Florian Wellbrock, who is in Rome for the first time and said: "I've seen very little of the city, but it looks beautiful. And there is a special atmosphere here too. We feel good, we push each other to win and get better."

It is a bit unusual to talk about bond when you are such big rivals: "With Gregorio we talk quite often, we tell each other how things are going. And most of all we push each other, it's always a great competition between us. But not only between us." After this morning's heats, the Olympic and world champion, who just recovered from Covid, said that he felt "good and had the race I was expecting."

The German swimmer qualified for tomorrow's final with the fifth time (15:05.18) and it's expected to be a very open race between the three: Romanchuk, Paltrinieri and him are among the best in the world on this distance, together with USA's Robert Finke. And on Tuesday they want to show everyone that the European 1500m freestyle men's race is of the highest level, including the other Italian swimmer Domenico Acerenza.

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