The German Swimming Federation has released its selection procedures for the 2025 World Championships. Each nation is allotted two entries in each women’s and men’s event at the World Championships.
To fill these spots for Germany, athletes must have met the international qualification criteria by World Aquatics at an approved competition within the qualification period or at the Olympic Games. Athletes who achieved a top-four placement at the Games can be nominated for the first roster spot in that event. Athletes who have hit one of the cuts in the table below are eligible for all remaining roster spots; if multiple athletes have achieved the qualification standard, the fastest time serves as the tiebreaker.
German Qualification Standards Comparison, 2023-2025
| 2023/24 Worlds | 2024 Olympics | 2025 Worlds | Event | 2025 Worlds | 2024 Olympics | 2023/24 Worlds |
| 24.7 | 24.7 | 24.8 | 50 Freestyle | 22 | 21.96 | 21.96 |
| 53.61 | 53.61 | 54.2 | 100 Freestyle | 48.2 | 48.34 | 48.34 |
| 1:57.26 | 1:57.26 | 1:57.10 | 200 Freestyle | 1:46.30 | 1:46.26 | 1:46.26 |
| 4:07.90 | 4:07.90 | 4:08.70 | 400 Freestyle | 3:47.00 | 3:46.78 | 3:46.78 |
| 8:26.71 | 8:26.71 | 8:31.80 | 800 Freestyle | 7:47.10 | 7:51.65 | 7:51.65 |
| 16:09.09 | 16:09.09 | 16:15.80 | 1500 Freestyle | 14:57.50 | 15:00.99 | 15:00.99 |
| 59.99 | 59.99 | 59.9 | 100 Backstroke | 53.5 | 53.74 | 53.74 |
| 2:10.39 | 2:10.39 | 2:11.50 | 200 Backstroke | 1:57.60 | 1:57.50 | 1:57.50 |
| 1:06.79 | 1:06.79 | 1:06.80 | 100 Breaststroke | 59.7 | 59.49 | 59.49 |
| 2:23.91 | 2:23.91 | 2:25.60 | 200 Breaststroke | 2:10.60 | 2:09.68 | 2:09.68 |
| 57.92 | 57.92 | 58 | 100 Butterfly | 51.6 | 51.67 | 51.67 |
| 2:08.43 | 2:08.43 | 2:09.40 | 200 Butterfly | 1:55.70 | 1:55.78 | 1:55.78 |
| 2:11.47 | 2:11.47 | 2:11.40 | 200 IM | 1:58.10 | 1:57.94 | 1:57.94 |
| 4:38.53 | 4:38.53 | 4:41.90 | 400 IM | 4:15.50 | 4:12.50 | 4:12.50 |
| 3:39.79 | 3:39.79 | 3:39.79 | 4×100 Free Relay | 3:15.40 | 3:15.40 | 3:15.40 |
| 7:57.50 | 7:57.50 | 7:57.50 | 4×200 Free Relay | 7:09.95 | 7:09.95 | 7:09.95 |
| 4:01.37 | 4:01.37 | 4:01.37 | 4×100 Medley Relay | 3:35.33 | 3:35.33 | 3:35.33 |
| 3:46.70 | 3:46.70 | 3:46.70 | 4×100 Mixed Medley Relay | 3:46.70 | 3:46.70 | 3:46.70 |
| 3:28.42 | 4×100 Mixed Free Relay | 3:28.42 |
Germany has had difficult qualification standards for the last several years, which have held as the cuts for the 2023 and 2024 World Championships and the 2024 Olympic Games. The cuts for the 2025 World Championships in Singapore have gotten slower in nine events (three women, six men). Those events are the women’s 200 freestyle, women’s 100 backstroke, women’s 200 IM, men’s 100 freestyle, men’s 800 freestyle, men’s 1500 freestyle, men’s 100 backstroke, men’s 100 butterfly, and men’s 200 butterfly.
The German men have a strong contingent of distance swimmers, so it’s notable that those cut times have gotten faster as it becomes increasingly competitive to earn a roster spot in those events. The men’s 800 freestyle cut has dropped 4.55 seconds from 7:51.65 to 7:47.10. the men’s 1500 freestyle cut is now sub-15 minutes, going from 15:00.99 to 14:57.50.
The full nomination procedures—available here in German—include the federation’s selection procedures for other international meets throughout 2025, including the U23 European Championships.
Germany earned two medals in the pool at the 2024 Olympics. Lukas Märtens got the team off to an incredible start, winning the men’s 400 freestyle, and then Isabel Gose earned bronze in the women’s 1500 freestyle. Additionally, Oliver Klemet took silver in the men’s 10K open water.
Kaii Winkler jumping for joy rn