Angelina Köhler Continues Golden Form As Young Talent Book Trips To Poland
Angelina Köhler claimed her fourth title of the German Championships as younger swimmers made their names known and booked tickets to the short-course Europeans next month in Poland.
Köhler won the 50 free in 24.15 and although it was outside the cut, she added to her titles in the 50 fly – in which she set a 25.31 national record in prelims – 200 fly and 200 free. Nina Jazy was second in 24.40 with 15-year-old Leonie Mau setting a German age-group record of 25.05 in third.
Malte Gräfe won silver in the 50m breaststroke at the World Junior Championships in Otopeni, Romania, in August, finishing just 0.01 off gold. The 18-year-old received his certificate before Saturday’s finals where he went on to take the national title in 26.57, 0.01 ahead of Melvin Imoudu (26.58) with Lucas Matzerath third in 26.63 as the trio booked tickets for the Europeans.
Noelle Benkler will celebrate her 18th birthday at the continental meet which runs from 2-7 December in Lublin where she’ll make her German senior debut.
Benkler won the 400IM on the opening night to secure her berth to Lublin. She returned to the Wuppertal pool on Saturday where she upset specialist Lise Seidel in the 100 back, winning by 0.02 in 58.88 while also improving the nine-year-old age group record of Laura Riedemann (58.91) – albeit outside the cut. She returned an hour later to complete the IM double with a 2:10.34 victory in the shorter race to add another race to her programme in Poland.
Fabienne Wenske was inside the women’s 1500 cut in 16:20.21 minutes and Julia Ackermann (SC Chemnitz) went inside the U23 limit in 16:29.80. Both will represent Germany alongside Isabel Gose.
Moritz Bockes missed the men’s 800 free European Championship standard by 0.33 in 7:44.33 minutes.
A maximum of 30 swimmers can qualify for Lublin with qualifying times divided into two categories, one for ‘open’ and one for ‘athletes under the age of 23.’
Several swimmers, including the likes of Anna Elendt and Lukas Märtens, have already booked their slots on the Germany team thanks to their performances at the World Championships in Singapore. Elendt won the 100m breaststroke title with Märtens taking the 400 free gold and 800 bronze.