Wellbrock eyes record-extending fourth gold as strategy wins sprint

German star Florian Wellbrock will go for an unprecedented fourth open water swimming gold at the World Aquatics Championships on Sunday in the relay after dominating the individual events.

Saturday's 3 kilometre knockout sprint gold, in the first edition of the event at a worlds, followed 10km and 5km gold for the 27-year-old. He is the first man or woman to win three individual gold medals in open water swimming at a World Aquatics Championships.

It has been a remarkable return to form for Tokyo 10km Olympic champion Wellbrock, who struggled at last year's Paris Games.

"I have no idea how I did it," Wellbrock told reporters. "But I like knockout races, it’s so nice because you can feel that every lap is faster. The strategy was to have a good position in the 1500m and 1km, and being in the top position in the 500m."

Wellbrock also races in the pool, picking up silver in the 1,500m freestyle at the Doha worlds last year, and he said that helped him on Saturday. He is slated to race the 1,500m in Singapore in August.

"To be a good open water swimmer, you need the speed from the pool. We can use this speed for the final 500m, and that’s so nice," he added.

"It’s so amazing. It wasn’t my goal to come here for three golds, but it’s so nice to be on top of the podium three times in a row."

It could be four open water golds if he helps Germany triumph in Sunday's 4x1,500m mixed relay.

"I think the key for the whole week is doing a lot of volume for the whole year, so that you are in good preparation for this competition here," said Wellbrock, who now has 13 world championship medals in open water and the pool.

"You need a lot of energy for the marathon distance, 5km and everything."