The last day of the 2015 German SC National Championships in Wuppertal, Germany, kicked off with the fastest heat of the 1500 m freestyle women – but this event isn’t on the schedule of the upcoming European Championships in early December in Netanya, Israel. The 2014 German champion Sarah Köhler did not participate in Wuppertal, so Leonie Antonia Beck and Alina Jungklaus battled from the start for the win with Junglaus finished first in 16:00,18 ahead of Beck in a time of 16:06,73. Remarkable are three youngsters in this long distance race, 13 year old Isabel Marie Gose (17:07,59) and 14 year old Ronny Dreher (16:58,46) and Sarah Wendt (16:57,30).
The German national record holder on the 100 m butterfly, Steffen Deibler, was the top seed for the A final with a time of 51,36 and he took this event in 50,94 seconds. Deibler won’t start at the European SC Championships because he focuses on the 2016 Olympic Games. Germany’s sprint lady Dorothea Brandt already have won the 50 m butterfly and breaststroke and in today’s 50 m freestyle final she also finished first in 24,27 seconds, ahead of Nina Kost in 25,02 and Kerstin Lange in 25,15 seconds. Brandt said that of course her experience and good training make her three national titels possible. Marco Koch, who is the LC World Champion in the 200 m breaststroke, took the men’s event in 2:02,49 minutes right ahead of Christian vom Lehn with a time of 2:05,55 and third place finisher was Yannick Lindenberg in 2:08,87.
On the women’s side, Vanessa Grimberg picked up the national title with a time of 2:22,34 minutes.The German record holder in the 200 m IM, Marcus Deibler, retired from professional swimming earlier this year, he was the 2014 national champion. Philip Heintz set the fastest time in the heats with a 1:56,30 – nearly three seconds faster then the seconded seeded. In the A final, he swam a 1:53,45 for the win. 16-year old Johannes Hintze took the silver medal in this race in 1:56,54 minutes – this is again a new German age group record. In third came Markus Gierke in 1:58,18 minutes.
One of the most thrilling races at this national championships were the men’s 400 m freestyle – with the new 800 m freestyle national record holder Florian Vogel challenging Paul Biedermann, who is the LC 400 m freestyle world record holder since 2009. Biedermann showed who is the boss in the 400 m freestyle in Germany with a time of 3:38,95 ahead of Florian Vogel in 3:40,22 and Robin Backhaus in 3:43,27 minutes.
Alexandra Wenk finished first in the women’s 100 m butterfly in a time of 57,18 seconds followed by Franziska Hentke who clocked 58,02, they shared the podium with third place finisher Paulina Schmiedel in 59,26.
Last year’s German national champion Christian Diener, who is the LC Vice European Champion in the 200 m backstroke, scratched the 100 m backstroke race. Jan-Philp Glania picked up the national title in 51,72 seconds, followed by Marek Ulrich with a time of 52,64 and Marco Di Carli in 52,64 seconds.
The new national champion in the women’s 100 m backstroke is Jenny Mensing in 58,50. In second came Katarzyna Baranowska (59,36) and with a new age group record the third place went to Maxine Wolters in 59,42, she is 16 years old.
Steffen Deibler won the 100 m butterfly on this last day of the competition and he also was victorious on the 50 m freestyle in 21,61 seconds ahead of Maximilian Oswald in a time of 21,89 and Damian Wierling in 21,93 seconds.
The last race of this national championships were the women’s 100 m IM. Alexandra Wenk got her hand on the wall first in 58,84 seconds, Julia Leidgebel reached for second place with a time of 1:00,83 and Theresa Michalak, who lives, studies and trains in Florida with the Gators took the bronze medal in 1:00,87 minutes.
The European Short Course Championships will be taking place from 2 to 6 December 2015 in Netanya, Israel. The LEN, the governing body of European swimming, announced a huge prize money purse for the top 12 male and female athletes based on FINA points – from 20.000 Euros for the first up to 2.000 Euros for the 12th place. Additinally, the LEN and the Israel Swimming Federation will offer all nations a travel support in money.
At the final press conference today, the German National Head Coach stated that he recognizes many good perfomances of the established and younger swimmers. He plans to send next to swimstars like Marco Koch, Paul Biedermann or Franziska Hentke some youngsters to Israel to give them a chance to compete on a high international level. He named Lisa Höpink and Damian Wierling as examples. Some nations like France will send small teams to Netanya with only youngsters. Lambertz is sure that for example Marco Koch will compete to win a medal and of course he will go for gold – perhaps against Daniel Gyurta, the 2012 Olympic Champion in the 200 m breaststroke.