Daniela Samulski represented Germany from 2000 to 2011 at many major international competions including two Olympic Games (2000 and 2008). The mother of a child retired in 2011 from competitive swimming. She died yesterday of cancer, after she defeated the disease for a first time some years ago.
Daniela Samulski’s most important international successes were two silver (50 m backstroke and 4×100 m freestyle relay) and a bronze medal (4 x 100m medley) at the 2009 Word Championships (LC) in Rome. There, she also set a new European Record in the 50m backstroke in 27,23 which she helds until today together with Russia’s Aljaksandra Herassimenja.
Henning Lambertz, the current German head coach, worked together with Daniela Samulski from 2004 until 2010, she was one of his most successfull swimmers as a club coach. Lambertz was quoted by the German Swimming Federation in a press release on her early death: “The message hit me hard. We worked together for a long time and it was a great time.”
Daniela Samulski is the actual German record holder in the 50m and 100m backstroke (short and long course). She died one week before her 34th birthday.
RIP….
So sad, she was so young. Does anyone know what kind of cancer it was?
Stomach.
ovarian cancer, actually
I was lucky enough to speak to Daniela before the 2009 Duel in the Pool, when I was still an age grouper. She accomodated our questions warmly, despite us clearly interrutping her in our young enthusiasm, and she knew exactly how to talk to all of us. I hope her children are old enough to have a few memories of their mother like that.
RIP
So sad. Rip.