Wetekam is battling for the bronze medal in Paris, shedding tears
In April, Maurice Wetekam missed his chance at the European Championship. Following this, he regrouped and was rewarded with the bronze medal at the Paralympics. The head coach continues to see "unbelievable potential" in the 18-year-old swimmer.
Before Maurice Wetekam shared a tearful moment with his girlfriend, Joline, in the pool of the La Défense Arena in Paris, he secured bronze over 100 meters breaststroke. At only 18 years old, this swimmer from TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen was the first to win a medal for the German team at these Paralympics, alleviating some pressure from his teammates.
"Amazing - the first medal. But simply winning a medal is an incredible feeling," said Wetekam, who was born with a limb defect. "I've never had such incredible support, I can't even describe it." In his preliminary heat, the Paralympics newcomer improved his personal best time and received words of praise from head coach Ute Schinkitz. "As a newcomer, to perform for the first time in such a big setting - you can only congratulate him," she said.
Improved by over four seconds in four months
This was the unexpected culmination of an exceptional year. At the European Championship in mid-April in Madeira, he finished in eighth place, falling significantly behind the competition with a time of 1:11.59 minutes. "He had a challenging season," said Schinkitz. "But there were always people who believed in him, and he allowed that, for which I am very grateful." In just four months, her protege improved by more than four seconds.
"I completely overhauled my mindset - with a lot of assistance from the coaching team, but also from the family side. I approached the matter anew, adjusted the training, reviewed everything, and really gave it my all. Of course, it isn't perfect yet, but for a relatively short period, it's already very good," said the native of Dortmund.
Came from behind to win
In the final, Stefano Raimondi from Italy, Hector Denayer, the local favorite, and Artem Isaew, competing under a neutral flag, were considered the top contenders for the medal. Initially, it appeared that Wetekam would trail behind. He had a poor start from the block and had to chase the pack. "When I saw after 85 meters that the Italian and the Russian were ahead of me on the lanes, I just thought: Shit. It was a fierce battle at the end."
But Wetekam's determination paid off. He improved his time by 0.75 seconds more. "It couldn't have gone any better, the time is definitely impressive," he said. And he already has his sights set on the next major goal: the Paralympic Games 2028 in Los Angeles. "We build upon what we've achieved now and hope that it will be even better in LA," said Wetekam. And Schinkitz remains convinced: "The boy still has unbelievable potential."
After securing the bronze medal at the Paralympics, Maurice Wetekam expressed his gratitude for the incredible support he received during his journey. Despite missing his chance at the European Championship earlier, Wetekam showed significant improvement, becoming the first German swimmer to win a medal at the Paralympics.
