128. DEUTSCHE MEISTERSCHAFTEN, BERLIN – GERMAN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS AND OLYMPIC TRIALS (PART 1), BERLIN
- Thursday, May 5 – Sunday, May 8, 2016
- Prelims: 9 am local, Finals: 5 pm local, on Sunday: 4 pm local
- Schwimm- und Sprunghalle im Europa-Sportpark (SSE)
- Eventpage
- Schedule
- Start lists
- Results
Short reminder of German Olympic qualification procedure: The 2016 German National Championships are the first part of a two-step nomination procedure for the Olympic Games. The athletes had to swim defined times at National Championships in prelims and in finals. All swimmers who achieve the times will be part of the so-called “long list” and must inform German Head Coach Henning Lambertz in the period of one week after German Nationals in which meet they want to confirm the required performance of the nomination process: at one of the three meets of the Mare Nostrum tour or the German Open. They can only choose ONE of these four possibilities. For this meet, other times are set which are approximately 1,5 % slower than those at German nationals. All swimmers who reach the times and have also finished first or second at the German National Championships will qualify for Rio.
The highlight of today’s prelims was the new German National record set by Alexandra Wenk in 2:11,41. This record was nearly 35 years old:
| 200 m individual medley | 2:11.73 | Geweniger, Ute | 4 Jul 1981 | – | Berlin, Germany |
Alexandra now sits 12th in the world ranking. The 21-year-old trains in Munich and won a bronze medal at the 2015 SC European Championships in the 100 m butterfly. Youngster Maxine Wolters, born 5-25-1999, also has a chance to make it on the Long list – she posted a 2:13,54 in the morning heats – only 0,65 off the finals nomination standard. It would be a great experience for her to make her first Olympic Team at the age of 17.
Fabian Schwingenschlögl is top seeded in the 100 m breaststroke final with his prelim’s time of 1:00,15 – he must swim a 1:00,01 to stay under the finals nomination standard. To make it into the world’s top ten, he must swim faster than 59,72. Also Marco Koch will compete in the 100 m breaststroke final, he clocked 1:00,49 in prelims but his focus is on the 200 m breaststroke. He is the 2015 World Champion in the 200 m and the 2015 European SC Champion in the 100 m and 200 m breaststroke. Perhaps he won’t swim the 100 m breaststroke in Rio even he could qualify.
Germany’s 200 m Butterfly swimmers showed solid perfomances on the men’s side: Alexander Kunert clocked 1:57,05 and is the top seed for the final, followed by Markus Gierke in 1:57,30. Both must get some more speed to get a spot on the German “Rio long list” – their target time tonight is a 1:56,33. Both are very focused and they will fight for every 0,01 second to get a chance to compete at their first Olympic Games. Clearly on the road to Rio is Franziska Hentke with her prelim’s time of 2:07,49, she now ranked 10th in the world and already under finals nomination standard. She is the German record holder in this event in 2:05,26, prediction for the final: a 2:06 is possible for her.
All went as it was expected in the men’s 200 m backstroke: Jan Philip Glania swam the fastest time in 1:58,04, Christian Diener posted a 1:58,36 – both times are not far off the finals nomination standard of 1:58,02, should be possible for both to swim faster. Diener’s personal best time is a 1:57,16.
Three ladies went under the prelims cut in the 200 m backstroke: Jenny Mensing set a 2:09,76, Lisa Graf clocked 2:10,10 and German US athletic student Nadine Laemmler went 2:11,91. Graf and Mensing are already faster than the required time for the final and perhaps Laemmler could follow them. But it is important to finish first or second – three swimmers on the “long list” means that if all also will stay under the standard at the 2nd qualifying meet, only the first and second place finisher at the German National Championships will get a spot in the team for Rio.
Only Mario Kusch was faster than the 49,12 standard for the 100 m freestyle prelims.
Results heats men’s 100 m freestyle:
1. Marius Kusch 1993 SG Stadtwerke München 0.66 00:49,07 (A) 00:23,79 00:49,07
2. Steffen Deibler 1987 Hamburger SC 0.67 00:49,16 (A) 00:23,43 00:49,16
3. Christoph Fildebrandt 1989 SSG Saar Max Ritter 0.62 00:49,17 (A) 00:23,45 00:49,17
3. Damian Wierling 1996 SG Essen 0.64 00:49,17 (A) 00:23,38 00:49,17
5. Philipp Wolf 1992 SG Stadtwerke München 0.68 00:49,25 (A) 00:23,74 00:49,25
6. Björn Hornikel 1992 VfL Sindelfingen 0.67 00:49,35 (A) 00:23,29 00:49,35 7. Marco Di Carli 1985 SG Frankfurt 0.68 00:49,63 (A) 00:23,72 00:49,63
8. Paul Biedermann 1986 SV Halle / Saale 0.76 00:49,72 (A)
The 4 x 100 m Freestyle relay is pre-qulified for Rio but German Head Coach Henning Lambertz is keeping options open if he will send a relay to Rio or not.
Philip Heintz is the only man who reached the prelims Standard in the 200 m IM in a time of 1:58,64 – if he can repeat this in tonight’s final, he’ll make it on the “long list”.
No woman stayed under the German Rio cut in the 100 m freestyle and 100 m breaststroke. Also bad chances for competitive relays.
Live recap German National Championships day 3 prelims
Summary all qualifiers day 3 prelims