Steffen Deibler and Silke Lippok stole the show at German nationals in Berlin, where the third day of action saw four more qualify for the European Championships in solo events.
Deibler, of Hamburger SC, was at the double in the 50m 'fly, on 23.51, at the start of the session and brought events to a close with a 22.17sec victory in the 50m free. Those two efforts made him the only qualifier for the continental showcase in Budapest in August.
In the 'fly he was ahead of Philip Heintz, 24.29, and Leif Marten Krüger, 24.59, and in the free kept at bay by some margin Jonas Lunemann, on 22.63, and Christoph Fildebrandt, on 22.85.
In the women's 200m free, Lippok, 16 this year and racing for SSG Pforzheim, cracked out an impressive 1:57.51 for a dominant victory that made her the only qualifier for the solo event in Budapest. The time is the 6th best in the world so far this year.
That effort also made Lippok the third German woman, discounting GDR efforts, to race inside 1:58, with Annika Lurz and Franziska Van Almsick ahead of her. Lippok's best before nationals was 1:58.78, after a 1:59.65 last year. Suit slowdown trend bucked. No issue.
The German relay, former members of which set the 4x200m relay world record when last the Euro titles were held in Budapest, in 2006, looks relatively weak compared to the capabilities of rivals, with Franziska Jansen the only other sub-2-minute swimmer, on 1:59.96, bronze going to Nina Schiffer, on 2:00.49, with relay reserve places possible for Daniela Schreiber, 2:00.99, and Juliane Reinhold, 16 this year, on 2:01.71. It is not yet clear whether Britta Steffen will race in Budapest after a troubled season of injury and illness.
Daniela Samluski, SG Essen, a world record holder for a moment last year and national record holder in 27.23, took the 50m back crown in 28.18 to take the Budapest berth, while silver went to Lisa Graf, SSG Leipzig, in a German age-group record of 29.13, 0.01sec ahead of Jenny Mensing.
By the length of his fingernail, Hendrik Feldwehr, on 26.83 in Rome last year and racing for SG Essen at nationals, clocked 27.62 to make the Hungarian cut by 0.01sec in the 50m breaststroke. No berths for the other two big-ranked swimmers of 2009, Marco Koch and Johannes Neumann, both over 28sec.
Titles to go to swimmers outside the cut were: the 50m 'fly title for women to Lisa Vitting, SG Essen, in 27.19; the 50m back for men to her clubmate Dominik Keil, in 26.16; the 50m breaststroke for women to Dorothea Brandt, SG Neukölln, Berlin, in 31.69, with German record holder in 30.77, Kerstin Vogel, SG Essen, third in 32.00.
