Day 2 Berlin: Koehler, Wierling, Bruhn Surpass German Olympic Standards

2021 GERMAN OLYMPIC TRIALS – BERLIN

• Friday, April 16th – Sunday, April 18th
• Friday/Saturday: Prelims at 10am local/Finals at 5pm local; Sunday: Prelims at 9:30am local/Finals at 4pm local
• Schwimm- und Sprunghalle im Europasportpark, Berlin
• German Olympic Selection Policy
• Long course meters (LCM)
• Start lists
• Live results
• Live stream
• Preview

The second day of the German Olympic Qualifiation meet in Berlin is the penultimate day of the German Olympic qualification period. That means Saturday wa the last call for the swimmers to grab a spot in the men’s and women’s 100m freestyle, 200m butterfly, 400m IM and 400m freestyle. It counted for the relay candidates to deliver fast performances in the finals.

The rules for the selection of the relay swimmers are that only the fastest performances achieved in a final will be used. Preliminary performances didn’t count.

The competition started with a lot of speed: Annika Bruhn powered everything out and swam for the first time under 54 seconds in the 100m freestyle: The clock stopped after 53.93. Olympic standard achieved. Bruhn was also able to break the standard in the 200m freestyle yesterday.

In the men’s event, Damian Wierling also had to race all out. And the 25-year-old reached his goal to attend his second Olympic Games. With a time of 48.48,  he remained 0.02 seconds below the standard time.

Sarah Koehler is already a member of the German team in the 800 m and 1500 m freestyle. But she achieved another chance for an individual start in the 400 m freestyle with a time of 4:05,99.

It counted today for the freestyle ladies to step up on the Olympic relay train. In addition to Annika Bruhn it were Lisa Hoepink, Marie Pietruschka and Hannah Kuechler who succeeded in doing so in the women’s 100m freestyle.

Add Marius Kusch, Christoph Fildebrandt and Eric Friese to Damian Wierling and here they go as the German men’s 4×100 freestyle relay for Tokyo. Bitter for today’s fourth-placed Josha Salchow is that Eric Friese did not swim his time of 49.05 in the direct comparison today in Berlin, but a week ago in the USA at the Pro Swim Series in Mission Viejo.

Current German Olympic Roster (Tokyo 2020)

• Sarah Koehler – 800 / 1500 freestyle
• Florian Wellbrock – 800 / 1500 freestyle
• Marco Koch – 200 breaststroke
• Laura Riedemann – 100 backstroke
• Franziska Hentke – 200 butterfly
• Marius Kusch – 100 butterfly
• Philip Heintz – 200 IM

German swimmers having achieved national Olympic qualifying times

• David Thomasberger – 200 butterfly
• Fabian Schwingenschlögl – 100 breast
• Leonie Kullmann – 400 freestyle
• Isabel Gose – 200, 400, 800 freestyle
• Florian Wellbrock – 400 freestyle
• Lukas Märtens – 200, 400, 1500 freestyle
• Henning Mühlleitner – 400 freestyle
• Celine Rieder – 1500 freestyle
• Lucas Matzerath – 100 breaststroke
• Annika Bruhn – 100, 200 freestyle
• Sarah Köhler – 400 freestyle
• Damian Wierling – 100 freestyle

Swimmers who have earned consideration for relay swims

• Marie Pietruschka – 4×200 freestyle, 4×100 freestyle
• Leonie Kullmann –  4×200 freestyle
• Jacob Heidtmann – 4×200 freestyle
• Poul Zellmann – 4×200 freestyle
• Henning Mühlleitner – 4×200 freestyle
• Lisa Höpink – 4×100 medley (butterfly), 4×100 freestyle
• Anna Elendt –  4×100 medley (breaststroke)
• Ole Braunschweig –  4×100 medley (backstroke)
• Hannah Kuechler – 4×100 freestyle
• Marius Kusch – 4×100 freestyle
• Eric Friese – 4×100 freestyle
• Christoph Fildebrandt – 4×100 freestyle

As a refresher, the Olympic standards, German records, and already qualified swimmers in each Olympic event are as follows: