Florian Wellbrock won the men’s 10km open water gold at the 2026 Pan Pacific Championships in 1:49:51 at Long Beach Marine Stadium. The German controlled the race from the front, finishing seven seconds clear of the field.
A move at the last buoy decides it
With 400 metres remaining, Wellbrock and Australia’s Nick Sloman shared the lead. Rounding the final buoy, Wellbrock accelerated sharply and opened a two-bodylength gap within seconds.
Mexico’s Paulo Strelhke Delgado threatened briefly with 250 metres left. Wellbrock kicked again and stretched away, leaving the 20-year-old to take silver in 1:49:58.
Three golds, one flight, another title
Wellbrock arrived in California after a punishing week. He won three open-water golds at the European Championships in Paris, then boarded an 11-hour flight to Los Angeles.
Italy’s Dario Verani claimed bronze in 1:50:01. The Long Beach course is expected to host the Olympic open-water races in 2028.
The Pan Pacific crown completes Wellbrock’s set of major titles, which includes Olympic gold from Tokyo 2021 and world 10km victories in 2019, 2023 and 2025.
His training partner Moesha Johnson won the women’s event at the same venue. Wellbrock, dominant across time zones, simply continued collecting medals.
