2015 German National Championships
- World Championship Qualifying Meet, 50 Meter Pool
- Berlin Germany
- April 9th-12th (Thursday-Sunday)
- Meet Central: here
- Live results: here
First finals, first chances to grab a spot on the German team for the World Championships in Kazan on Thursday in Berling. 18 year-old Leonie Antonia Beck took the first win of the evening with a 8:27,37 in the 800 free, in second came Sarah Köhler with also a fast time: 8:28,23, which places her now 7th in the early season world ranking right behind the new German Champion Beck – who said after the race that her goal was to reach the qualification time – and that any less would have been a “disappointment” because of good training achievements during the last six months.
Sören Meißner set the pace in the 1500 free men and touched the wall in 15:04,93 – his entry in the world top 10. 19 year-old Austrian Felix Auböck, who trains with SG Neukölln Berlin, set a new Austrian record with a courageous race in 15:05,48 – ranks now 7th in the world. With 15.06,01 Ruwen Straub also made it in the 2015 World rankings top 10.
Franziska Hentke swam a lifetime best on the 400 IM in 4:42,78, inside the required German nomination despite the 400 IM not being her best race. Her signature stroke is butterfly.
The best performance of the evening was a very fast 400 IM race by Jacob Heidtmann with 4:13,28 – placed him not only second in the world ranks – his race also showed that Germany’s swimmers have put a focused in the longer distances. In an after race interview, the new German Champion said: “I’am very pleased with my time – but the fly wasn’t perfect, there is room to improve.”
2014-2015 LCM Men 400 IM
SETO
4.08.50
| 2 | Kosuke HAGINO | JPN | 4:08.54 | 04/12 |
| 3 | David VERRASZTO | HUN | 4.09.90 | 08/09 |
| 4 | Chase KALISZ | USA | 4.10.05 | 08/09 |
| 5 | Tyler CLARY | USA | 4.11.71 | 08/09 |
Friday’s schedule:
50 back women, men
50 breast women, men
400 free women, men
50 fly women, men
4 x 100 free (swim clubs) women, men
Germany 8 Brazil 1. Deutschland über alles ,über alles in der welt.
Amazing. I don’t care if they never win a swim medal again , the best sporting performance maybe ever.
Settle down guys…
Murdoch is far superior in stroke? Even if that would be true, who cares? Turns just are part of swimming, i dont see what is even the sense in mentioning it.
Murdoch was faster in 100 breast at european championships then at commonwealth games, Its hard to believe that he wasnt at 100%. At commonwealth games he didnt have an opponent like koch, willis was more than 1 second slower than murdoch. Murdoch wasnt able to deal with the pressure of having an opponent like koch, koch was just mentally stronger.
Proud/halsall/guy medal contenders? In which olympic event?
Obviously you completely missed my point. Ill try to sum up our discussion up:
You say “i hope to… Read more »
You missed the point of my reply – It was to reiterate that the missing athletes you spoke about have not been posting great times recently… Even if they were at German Nationals, I doubt we would be seeing any times from them that would make people sit up and say, “Wow, Germany are back”. Your best swimmers aren’t good enough, the old guard, and it is refreshing to see big improvements from young Germans as you really need the next generation to start breaking through, as GBs did in 2014.
About Proud/Halsall/Guy – I said in Kazan, World Championships. But Halsall is a medal contender, she is the joint fastest all-time in 50FR in a textile suit. James Guy… Read more »
Does anybody know why German swimming is in such a funk? Only 10-15 years ago, Germany was probably the strongest swimming nation in Europe. It had a deep pool of world-class, international medalists (Franzi van Almsick, Sandra Voelker, Hannah Stockbauer, Stev Theloke, Thomas Rupprath, etc.) Swimmers who were consistently and genuinely competitive on the world stage.
Now, Germany has very few, if any, noteworthy swimmers. The decline has been so quick and dramatic that the problem almost seems structural. Did the funding get worse? Are there just fewer swimmers in Germany? What’s going on??
There are for sure structural reasons, most of our swimmers just cant focus on swimming, because they only get small funding and have to search private sponsors to “survive”. You cant have a good life as a swimmer and most people prefer a normal job where they can clearly earn more money. Swimming isnt really popular in germany, behind sports like biathlon/ski jumping/handball/basketball/football/road cycling/formula 1/athletics/tennis/ice hockey and not far ahead of volleyball/hockey/table tennis/luge/nordic combined. Many pools had to be closed in the last couple of years and of course very few children are born and most want to become football players. Most of our talents dont have the possibility to train enough at young age, like swimmers in russia, china,… Read more »
Although you seem to make some interesting points with the structural problem it is in fact that germany does continue funding athletes after they realize that school is actually a lot more important than pro swimming. The second part of the problem is the volume at an early age
Although you seem to make some interesting points with the structural problem it is in fact that germany does continue funding athletes after they realize that school is actually a lot more important than pro swimming. The second part of the problem is the volume at an early age. I think a whole lot of talent is slipping through their hands because young kids realize that swimming isn’t that much fun for them. The important aspect is keeping it fun. IF they fail to keep young kids/young adults in the sport they will see a continually downward spiraling trend. Volume can always increase later.
I would not only rate Murdoch higher than Koch. If Gyurta swims the 200m he can defeat everyone. Well, it’s not a shame to be third in the 200m breaststroke in Europe, actually I can’t see any breaststroker outside from Europe winning a medal in the 200m breaststroke.
Germany is nearly dead in swimming. Only 3 swimmers have higher ambitions: Biedermann, Koch and S.Deibler. And only Koch has a chance of medal in Kazan or Rio.
We will see about gyurta at 2015 wc, o think koch is the only one that can beat him. Balandin (at least in my opinion) isnt from europe and he does have a shot at the silver/bronze medal, but obviously you dont know him.
I hope you are wrong – European swimming is a much better place when Germany are performing.
Some much needed improvements for the German’s today – Hopefully we’ll see more of this over the rest of the meet.
I already wrote this in another article:
We are missing our 2 best athletes at mens 50 free (s. deibler, wierling), our 2nd/3rd/4th best athlete at mens 100 free (s. deibler, m. deibler, wierling), our 2nd/3rd/4th best athlete at mens 200 free (m. deibler, lebherz, wierling), our best athlete at mens 400 free (biedermann), our best athlete at 50/100 fly (s. deibler), our best athlete at mens 200 IM (m. deibler), our 2nd best athlete at mens 200 back (lebherz) and our best athlete at mens 400 IM (lebherz), so you shouldnt expect many good times.
Biedermann in mens 100/200 free (48.6 – 48.8/1.46 – 1.46.50), koch in mens 200 breast (2.09 – 2.09.50), diener in mens 200… Read more »
How many of those missing athletes are big news on a World stage? Not many. I am not being unduly harsh, but German swimming is in a bad state – We saw in Berlin last year when Germany only won two golds in the swimming pool… Two golds that one could argue wouldn’t have been won if Britain had targeted Europeans instead of Commonwealth. The 4×200 would almost certainly have been British gold with 4 men between 1.46.5 and 1.47.3… the 200 Breast is a 50/50 but I’d favour one of the Brits most days.
Where does that leave us? Germans are the ‘best’ in Europe in 0 events.
It is great for European swimming that the Germans… Read more »
200 breat would still have been koch’s gold medal, no doubt about that. GB swimmers can prove me wrong at this years world championships.
S. Deibler was at 48.56 last year, better than any gb swimmer.
Wierling (1996) was at 49.07 last year, i think he couldve been at 48.8 at least this year, but i dont know which place in world ranking this wouldve been. We are missing these athletes especially in our relays.
Biedermann at 400 free doesnt matter at world stage?
S. Deibler in 2013 was second in world ranking at 100 fly (better than any gb swimmer). In 2014 he was 12th, 0.01 behind barrett. He doesnt matter at world stage?
M. Deibler 100 IM world… Read more »
Your comments regarding Marco Koch surprise me – As you said on these boards after Koch’s gold that you never thought he was good enough to go below 2.08 and the general consensus was that the crowd pulled him there. Ross Murdoch went 2.07 twice last year, and held his taper after Commonwealths to maintain his form. Koch won the race on the turns – Murdoch was/is far superior in stroke.
You seem to be trying to rebuke my comments with nationalist mud-slinging.The times Biedermann has posted since 2010 over 400m simply do not cut it anymore – 3.41 is where the medals are.. same with Lebherz & Diebler, do they look ‘likely’ to win medals? No. That is… Read more »
Beck is still 17 years old, she turns 18 at 27th of may. Hintze turns 16 at 9th of july.
No comment about hintze 4.16.58 or wedel 4.16.63? Hintze probably one of the fastest 15 year olds in history, he will probably swim at 2015 wc. Wedel was 0.05 too slow, otherwise he wouldve qualified instead of hintze.
Also worth a note:
Heidtmann was at 15.15 at 1500 free in early march, but sadly he had to decide if he wants to swim 400 IM or 1500 free today. I think he couldve been at sub 15 today, considering that he was 4.18 in 400 IM when he was 15.15 at 1500 free and now he was at 4.13 in 400 IM, he seems to have improved his endurance considerably.
In general these times shouldnt be overestimated,… Read more »