Germany has announced which swimmers they will be sending to each of the stops of the 2011 FINA/Arena World Cup Series. The highlight will be their World Record holder, Paul Biedermann, who will participate in all three parts of the European swing. And of course, the entire German team will show up for the Berlin World Cup stop. This is always one of the most exciting on the entire tour, a reputation forged during the 2009 version of the meet that was responsible for 12 current short course World Records.
One of the more intriguing subplots will be the potential race between Australia’s Libby Trickett and Germany’s Britta Steffen at the Berlin stop. They represent the last two World Record holders in the 100 free, and two of the last three in the 50 free, but both are on their way back to the top after respites from the sport. For Trickett, these three European meets will be her first three back in international competition.
If you were to add in the Netherlands’ Marleen Veldhuis, who didn’t participate in the World Cup last year but has in the past, you’d really crank up the volume on the story line. She too litters the sprint-freestyle World Record books, and also recently took time away from the sport to give birth to her first child in June of 2010. Veldhuis has been announced to be attending the European Short Course Championships in early December, so it’s possible that she will use the Berlin stop of the World Cup as a tune-up for that event.
Dubai (7 / 8 October): Dorothea Brandt (SG Neukölln), Caroline Ruhnau, Hendrik box weir (both SG Essen), Marco Koch (DSV 1912 Darmstadt); coach Dirk Lange.
Stockholm (15-16 October): Paul Biedermann, Daniela Schreiber, Theresa Michalak (all SV Halle / Saale), Marco Koch (DSV 1912 Darmstadt); Coach: Frank Embacher.
Moscow (18-19 October): Paul Biedermann, Daniela Schreiber (both SV Halle / Saale), Dorothea Brandt (SG Neukölln), Marco Koch (DSV 1912 Darmstadt); Coach: Frank Embacher.
Berlin (22-23 October): DSV-national team, coach Dirk Lange Singapore
(4 / 5 November): Marco Koch (DSV Darmstadt 1912), Jenny Mensing (SC Wiesbaden 1911), Jan-Philip Glania (SG Frankfurt), Coach: Martin Grabowski.
Beijing (8 / 9 November): Marco Koch (DSV Darmstadt 1912), Jenny Mensing (SC Wiesbaden 1911), Jan-Philip Glania (SG Frankfurt), Coach: Martin Grabowski.
Tokyo (12-13 November): Marco Koch (DSV Darmstadt 1912), Jenny Mensing (SC Wiesbaden 1911), Jan-Philip Glania (SG Frankfurt), Coach: Martin Grabowski.
