2021 GERMAN OLYMPIC TRIALS – BERLIN
- Friday, April 16th – Sunday, April 18th
- Friday/Saturday: Prelims at 10am local/Finals at 7pm local; Sunday: Prelims at 9:30am local/Finals at 4pm local
- Schwimm- und Sprunghalle im Europasportpark, Berlin
- German Olympic Selection Policy
- Long course meters (LCM)
- Start lists
- Live results
The Olympic qualifying meet this week in Berlin will be the last chance for German swimmers to earn a spot on the Olympic team for Tokyo. The official trial period is April 1-18, and two meets have already run, while a fourth meet, initially scheduled for April 17-18 in Dortmund, has been canceled due to the pandemic.
IMer Jacob Heidtmann, distance specialists Sarah Koehler, Florian Wellbrock, Lukas Märtens and Isabel Gose, breaststroke record-holders Marco Koch and Fabian Schwingenschloegl and 200 fly record-holder Franziska Hentke are just some of the big names entered on the start lists.
A big event to watch will be the women’s 200 free, where the top nine swimmers are entered under two minutes, led by veteran Annika Bruhn (1:57.37). After breaking out with a national record in the 200 fly earlier in April, David Thomasberger is entered in the 100 fly and 100 free, while Marius Kusch and former 200 fly record-holder Ramon Klenz are on the start lists, too. Kusch, already on the team in the 100 fly, is entered in that event and the 50/100 free, while Klenz is in both fly events and the 200 IM.
The men’s 400 will also be interesting, as three men have already been under the Olympic cut: Wellbrock, Märtens and Henning Mühlleitner at 3:44.35, 3:45.29 and 3:45.55, respectively. Wellbrock is already on the team in the 800 and 1500 free, but not the 400, so the other two could upset him and take the two spots there.
Below, view the Olympic roster that was solidified before the current three-meet qualifying period. The second list is swimmers who have been under the Olympic cut at one of the last two trial meets and are in the running for Olympic spots.
Current German Olympic Roster (Tokyo 2020)
- Sarah Koehler – 800 / 1500 freestyle
- Florian Wellbrock – 800 / 1500 freestyle
- Marco Koch – 200 breaststroke
- Laura Riedemann – 100 backstroke
- Franziska Hentke – 200 butterfly
- Marius Kusch – 100 butterfly
- Philip Heintz – 200 IM
- Jacob Heidtmannn – 400 IM
Swimmers Under Germany’s Olympic Cut During April 2021 Trial Period
- David Thomasberger – 200 butterfly (German record)
- Fabian Schwingenschlögl – 100 breast (German record)
- Leonie Kullmann – 400 freestyle
- Isabel Gose 400 free, 800 free
- Florian Wellbrock 400 free
- Lukas Märtens 400 free, 1500 free
- Henning Mühlleitner 400 free
- Celine Rieder 1500 free
Athletes who (somewhat) surprisingly won’t compete:
Luca Armbruster (men’s 100 fly)
Eric Friese (men’s 100 fly/free)
Alexander Kunert (men’s 200 free/fly)
Sven Schwarz (men’s 800/1500 free)
Ruwen Straub (men’s 1500 free)
Philip Heintz (men’s 200/400 IM)
Leonie Beck (women’s 400/800/1500 free)
I am a bit disappointed that Schwarz and Beck didn’t try to qualify and that Heintz didn’t at least try to qualify for the 400 IM.
Also surprising that none out of Mühlleitner/Märtens/Schwarz even tried to qualify for the 800 free, which probably means that only Wellbrock will swim it. Hard to imagine that Märtens wouldn’t have been able to comfortably qualify after going 3:45.2 in the 400 free and 14:49 in… Read more »
Sven Schwarz + Angelina Köhler won’t compete – Covid-19!
Really sad for them, i hope that they will get another chance. There will be a spot open in the 800 free, so they should allow Schwarz to qualify later on. With Köhler it is more tricky, but i think they should give her the chance to qualify by hitting the standard (if she swims faster than Höpink, but doesn’t get the standard, i would not nominate her for the medley relay).