Video capture courtesy of Daniela Kapser / Video edit courtesy of Coleman Hodges
Video capture courtesy of Daniela Kapser / Video edit courtesy of Coleman Hodges
Former series champs Katinka Hosszu and Chad le Clos were among the high-profile swimmers to speak to the media prior to the start of the 2016 FINA World Cup stop in Berlin, Germany.
Hosszu has won the series in five consecutive years, and leads the women’s points with one meet down in 2016.
Le Clos won the men’s series in 2014, but gave way to his South African countryman Cameron van der Burgh last year. Both men are currently chasing Russia’s Vladimir Morozov in the 2016 series points.
Also of note from the press conference: German coach Beate Ludewig explained the shortage of German entrants in the nation’s home world cup meet.
Ludewig, filling in for German National Team head coach Henning Lambertz, who is on vacation, said this World Cup stop is optional for Germany’s top athletes, given its close proximity to the Olympics.
Only Franziska Hentke, Philip Heintz, Florian Wellbrock and Marco Koch will compete in Berlin, and Koch is still a question mark as he fights an illness. Germany is coming off a second-straight Olympics with no swimming medals, bringing up discussion about the structure of the German swimming federation program, including coaching qualification, swimmer stipends and more.
Daniela Kapser contributed to this report.
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