Josha Salchow & Lucas Matzerath Among The Winners As Singapore Slots Secured In Berlin
Josha Salchow and Lucas Matzerath were among the winners at the German Championships on a day when Sven Schwarz commanded the spotlight as he took down the European 800 free record.
Schwarz went 7:38.12 in Berlin to elevate himself to fifth performer all-time as he overhauled Daniel Wiffen’s 2023 standard. Read more here.
The meet is another opportunity for athletes to qualify for the World Championships in Singapore with German policy dictating they could book a spot on the team at any World Aquatics-approved competition from 7 April to 4 May.
Salchow booked his slot at the worlds with a 48.09 victory in the men’s 100 free ahead of Kaii Liam Winkler (48.41), Luca Nik Armbruster (48.82) and Lukas Märtens, who posted 48.88 a day after his 3:40.61 sizzler in the 400 free.
Matzerath booked his ticket to Singapore with a 59.19 victory in the men’s 100m breaststroke ahead of Melvin Imoudu who clocked 59.50 for second. Imoudu had already booked his slot coming into the meet and the pair will travel to worlds a year after they finished fourth and fifth at Paris 2024. Jan Malte Gräfe was third in 1:01.34.
Anna Elendt cemented her spot on the team for the World Championships when she won the 100m breaststroke in 1:05.72. Out in 31.11 and back in 34.61, the 23-year-old stopped the clock 0.14 off her German record of 1:05.58 set at the TYR Pro Swim Series San Antonio in 2022 and three months later would go on to win silver behind Benedetta Pilato at the World Championships in Budapest. Lena Ludwig (1:08.03) and Hannah Schneider (1:09.33) joined Elendt on the podium.
Isabel Gose won the 400 on the opening evening in 4:03.65 and she returned for the longest race in the pool on Friday. The 22-year-old – part of Bernd Berkhahn’s training group in Magdeburg that also numbers Lukas Märtens, Florian Wellbrock and Oliver Klemet – led from the off and enjoyed a lead of almost 12 seconds by halfway. She came home in 15:52.34, 11.18secs off the German record she set en-route to bronze at last year’s Olympics. It was the fourth fastest of her career and ranks second in the world this year behind Katie Ledecky’s shuddering 15:24.51 – the second fastest all-time – at the TYR Pro Series Fort Lauderdale. Celine Rieder was second in 16:20.19 with Marian Plöger third home in 16:23.89.
Nina Holt guaranteed her place on the Singapore team in the women’s 100 free with a 53.90 victory ahead of Nina Sandrine Jazy (54.71) and Julianna Dora Bocska (54.87).