Germany’s New Wunderkind Isabel Gose Breaks Championship Record for 5th Gold

2019 EUROPEAN JUNIOR SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

A stupendous final stroke from Italy’s Costanza Cocconcelli blocked Germany’s Isabel Gose from a 4th individual gold medal at the 2019 European Junior Swimming Championships, but none-the-less, in the last of 4 individual races, Gose has made a name for herself at this weekend’s meet in Kazan.

Coming down from altitude training, Gose won 3 individual gold and 1 individual silver this weekend, in addition to (so far) 3 relay gold medals. Germany chose Maya Tobehn to anchor the mixed medley on Saturday.

What’s been as impressive as the color and count of her medals is the way in which they were earned. On day 1, she swam in the semi-finals of the 100 free, and then split a 54.51 (fastest in the field) in the women’s 400 free relay final. A day later, she won the 400 free at 6:05PM (by more than 2 seconds), won the 100 free final (by .35 seconds) at 6:50PM, and at 8:06PM anchored Germany’s mixed 400 free relay in 54.42 – again the fastest female split in the field.

On Friday, she just had one swim, the semi-finals of the 200 free (where she earned the top seed in 1:59.77), and on Saturday she has again conquered a massive schedule: she qualified 2nd in the 50 free at 6:00PM, won the 200 free at 6:43PM, and then finished 2nd, by .05 seconds, in the 50 free at 7:49PM.

She’ll likely swim the 800 free relay on Sunday, the meet’s final day, for a chance at an 7th medal in 5 days. While the Germans are not a guarantee of gold in that race, between Gose and Tobehn they had 2 of the top 3 finishers in the individual 200 free.

Her 200 free was also done in a record-setting time of 1:57.51. For Gose, who turned 17 in May, that breaks the record set by Hungary’s Ajna Kesely in 2017 in 1:57.85. Our readers may recall that the meet was a huge breakout for Kesely where she looked as impressive as Gose has this week.

Gose still has

Gose’s Results this Weekend:

  • Silver – 50 free, 25.30
  • Gold – 100 free, 54.86
  • Gold – 200 free, 1:57.51
  • Gold – 400 free, 4:07.96
  • Gold – mixed 400 free relay, 3:28.43 (54.42 anchor)
  • Gold – women’s 400 free relay, 3:41.24 (54.51 on 3rd leg)

Gose has broken her best times in each of those races, in some cases by big margins. Her best times coming into the meet:

  • 50 free – 25.51
  • 100 free – 55.65
  • 200 free – 1:58.17
  • 400 free – 4:10.00
  • 100 free relay split – 55.66

Amazingly, none of those swims are German Age Record for swimmers in their 17th years:

  • 50 free – Angelina Kohler, 2017 – 25.19
  • 100 free – Silke Lippok, 2011 – 54.81
  • 200 free – Silke Lippok, 2011 – 1:57.02
  • 400 free – Heike Friedrich, 1987 – 4:06.39

Gose is only expected to swim as part of Germany’s 800 free relay at Worlds – even her new times don’t quite crack the stiff German qualification standards for individual races.

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About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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