Damian Wierling Wins Third Title To Close German Int’l Championships

2018 INTERNATIONAL GERMAN SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

22-year-old sprinter Damian Wierling won his third gold medal of the 2018 International German Swimming Championships on the fourth and final day of competition in Berlin.

After claiming the 100 free and 50 fly on day 2, he blasted a 22.12 in the 50 free to lower his season-best by .07 and move up from 40th to 32nd in the world rankings. Ali Khalafalla of Egypt took 2nd in 22.41.

Alexandra Wenk won her 2nd gold and fourth medal of the meet in the women’s 200 IM, holding off Marie Pietruschka (2:15.03) for the win in a time of 2:14.60. The national record holder with her 2:11.33 from 2016, she improved her season-best by over two seconds. She also won the 100 fly, and was 2nd in the 200 fly and 3rd in the 50.

Two of the world’s top milers Florian Wellbrock and Sarah Kohler both won their signature events in decisive fashion.

Wellbrock, who set the German Record earlier this year in 14:40.69, ranking him 1st in the world, won the men’s event by over 20 seconds in a time of 15:08.45. He also won the 800 here (7:51.58).

Kohler, swimming her only event of the meet, clocked 16:06.82 to win the women’s event by a landslide, finishing just seven seconds off her 5th ranked 15:59.83 from the Stockholm Open.

OTHER EVENTS

  • Angelina Kohler won the women’s 50 free in a season-best time of 25.42, edging out Valerie Van Roon (25.46) of the Netherlands.
  • National Record holder Philip Heintz won the men’s 200 IM in 2:00.88, barely holding off the hard charging Mohamed Samy (2:01.05) of Egypt. Heintz is the 3rd fastest swimmer in the world this year with his swim of 1:56.67 from the Bergen Swim Festival in April.
  • Lisa Graf (2:10.39) used a 32.06 final 50 to take out runner-up Jenny Mensing (2:11.33) in the women’s 200 back, and Sonnele Ozturk, who is coming off her freshman year at Auburn, was 3rd in 2:12.62.
  • Christian Diener won his second gold and third medal of the meet in the men’s 200 back, closing in 29.04 to get by Andreas Wiesner (1:59.77) in a time of 1:59.19.

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About James Sutherland

James Sutherland

James swam five years at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, specializing in the 200 free, back and IM. He finished up his collegiate swimming career in 2018, graduating with a bachelor's degree in economics. In 2019 he completed his graduate degree in sports journalism. Prior to going to Laurentian, James swam …

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