Isabel Gose still has a chance of fulfilling her dream of a medal at this World Championships. In the final over 800 meters freestyle, the best German long-distance swimmer wants to attack again. Gold seems to have been awarded to US swimming star Katie Ledecky, but the race for the other podium places is open.
At the latest with her EM gold last year over 400 meters and two other medals at the continental title fights in Rome, Gose established herself as a German pre-swimmer. After the career end of Olympic bronze medalist Sarah Wellbrock (formerly Köhler), the 21-year-old is even more in focus. She and her boyfriend Lukas Märtens are behind double world champion Florian Wellbrock the greatest German swimming hopes for the summer games in Paris in 2024.
No greater pressure
According to her own statements, Gose does not feel any greater pressure from the increased public interest in her person and her achievements. “I really don’t notice anything,” she said in the catacombs of the Marine Messe in Fukuoka. “We athletes somehow live from recognition and from the fact that people look at you, motivate and encourage you.”
Martens sees it similarly. “I think I can handle that very well,” he said. With a view to his World Championship bronze medal over 400 meters and his German record in the 800 meter race, he added: “We’ve seen that now too. It’s not getting less attention. I think I’m already relatively clarified, as for that.”
The fact that, unlike him, Gose has not yet managed to win a medal in southwestern Japan does not discourage her. In the final on Saturday (2:23 p.m. CEST), she wants to “swim free”. She doesn’t want to speculate about precious metals beforehand.
The shape is right
She already showed that she is in good form even without a podium finish during the World Cup days. She set a German record over 400 meters in 4:03.02 minutes. She swam over 1500 meters faster than ever before in her life on this distance in a competition.
“The idea is that we combine the speed of the 400 meters and the endurance development of the 1500 meters and she ends up with a new best time,” said Bernd Berkhahn, who trains Gose, Märtens and Wellbrock in Magdeburg, on the 800th meter race. If you succeed, it could be enough for precious metal.
Gose’s best time, set in Berlin in April, is 8:19.65 minutes. Only three swimmers have been faster so far this year. Of course Ledecky, the Australian Ariarne Titmus and Erika Fairweather from New Zealand. As always, Ledecky swam ahead in the heat on Friday. The candidates for the other podium places were close together – including Gose.
