After two days of competition at the German Short Course National Championships 14 athletes have successful met the qualification criteria to be part of the German National Team competing in Herning at the European Short Course Championships.
The first day of competition saw several very tight races with seven swimmers under the required qualification time to swim at the European Championships, but only four swimmers made the team.
The men’s 400 IM was also a nail biter with Tim Wallburger and Marco Koch battling for the title. Koch lead for much of the race, but Wallburger made a push in the freestyle and passed Koch on the final five meters of the race winning the event in a time of 4:06.22. Koch finished second in a time of 4:06.42. Jacob Heidtmann finished third in a time of 4:09.70.
All three men were well under the qualification time needed for the European Championships, but as part of the selection criteria only the first two qualifiers will swim the event in Herning.
14 year old Johannes Hintze, who finished seventh, broke the national age group record posting a time of 4:19.98. It is incredible to think that just a year ago he put up a 4:40.34 at the 2012 German Short Course Championships.
The women’s 400 IM saw the top four women all swim times that were under the qualification time of 4:40.00 needed for a trip to Herning. Theresa Michalak won the event in a time of 4:35.76 followed by Alexandra Wenk who posted a 4:38.67, Franziska Hentke who finished in a time of 4:39.04 and Emily Siebrecht who touched the wall in a time of 4:39.21.
The men’s 800 freestyle was an incredible race between Soeren Meissner and Florian Vogel. Meissner finished in a time of 7:41.06 while Vogel broke the age group record for 19 year olds posting a time of 7:41.94. The improvements on the two swimmers was quite impressive as Meissner came into the meet with a lifetime best of 7:59.18 and Vogel with a 7:52.34.
Third place finisher Poul Zellmann also broke a German age group record for 18 year olds finishing in a time of 7:50.50.
A fourth German age group record came tumbling down in the women’s 1500 freestyle where 16 year old Leonie Antonia Beck won the event in a time of 15:56.32. Sarah Kohler finished second in a time of 16:13.00 while Sarah Bosslet picked up the bronze posting a time of 16:40.58.
The second day of competition saw 10 more swimmers meet the European Championships selection criteria.
Paul Biedermann, who has announced that he will not be competing at the European Short Course Championships, took the men’s 200 freestyle in a time of 1:44.17. It was not an easy race for the long course world record as Robin Backhaus and 400 IM champion Tim Wallburger challenged him for the entire race. Backhaus finished second in a time of 1:44.39 followed by Wallburger who recorded a time of 1:44.80.
All three men were under the qualification time of 1:45.00.
Dorothea Brandt and Daniela Schreiber had an incredible battle in the women’s 100 freestyle. At the 50 meter mark Brandt had a very narrow lead of eight one-hundredths of a second over Schreiber and was only able to extend that lead by the smallest of margins eventually defeating Schreiber by nine one-hundredths of a second.
Brandt posted a time of 53.68 while Schreiber hit the wall in a time of 53.77. Both women were under the qualifying time of 54.00.
In the men’s 50 backstroke Christian Diener took the title in a time of 24.12 followed by Carl Louis Schwarz who finished in a time of 24.21 and Marco Di Carli who touched in a time of 24.32. All three swimmers missed the qualifying time of 24.00.
In the women’s 100 breaststroke Caroline Ruhnau won the event in a time of 1:05.80 easily under the qualifying standard of 1:07.00. Theresa Michalak, who had already made the qualifying criteria in the 400 IM on the first day, finished second in a time of 1:06.10 which was also under the standard.
Michalak’s teammate Julia Willers finished third in a time of 1:07.77.
The 2013 World Championships 200 breaststroke silver medalist Marco Koch took the men’s 100 breaststroke with ease finishing in a time of 58.27. Hendrik Fedwehr, who with Koch at the 50 meter mark, finished second in a time of 59.04 finishing just ahead of his teammate Erik Steinhagen who posted a time of 59.08.
Koch, who qualified for the team on the first day in the 400 IM, was the only swimmer to finish under the qualifying standard of 59.00.
Doris Eichhorn took the women’s 50 butterfly in a time of 26.39. She was followed by Franziska Hentke who posted a time of 26.79 and Paulina Schmiedel who finished third in a time of 27.28. All three women missed the qualification standard of 26.00.
After having to miss the World Championships because of health issues Jenny Mensing earned another German title in the women’s 200 backstroke finishing in a time of 2:04.69, finishing almost two seconds ahead of the next competitor.
Even though she was far behind Mensing in the race Sonnele Ozturk must have been overjoyed as her finishing time of 2:06.53 broke the German age group record for 16 year olds. The teenager was also under the qualification standard of 2:07.00.
Dorte Baumert finished third in a time of 2:07.27.
50 butterfly world record holder Steffen Deibler took the German title in that event with ease finishing in a time of 22.89. He was followed by Maximilian Oswald who posted a time of 23.48 and Jonas Bergmann who finished third in a time of 23.54.
With that time Bermann set a new German age group record for 18 year olds.
Both Deibler and Oswald finished under the qualification time of 23.50.
The women’s 400 freestyle saw five competitors all finish under the qualification standard of 4:08.00. Leonie Antonia beck took the event in a time of 4:04.84. She was followed by Johana Friedrich who touched the wall in a time of 4:06.13 only 19 one-hundredths of a second ahead of Sarah Kohler who finished in a time of 4:06.32.
Fourth place finisher 15 year old Alina Jungklaus set a new German age group record posting a time of 4:07.45.
Full results can be found here
