Lurz Off Pace But Inside Olympic Target
2008-04-20
Craig Lord
Well below best on 1:57.83 in the 200m freestyle, and racing in an Arena suit, world silver medallist kept at bay Petra Dallmann, racing in a Speedo LZR Racer and taking the second berth for Beijing in 1:58.60 at German trials; suit debate rumbles on

Annika Lurz (nee Liebs), who in her mid-twenties improved from a 2min 04 best three years ago to a silver medal in a 1:55 in the 200m freestyle at Melbourne 2007 - one of the most remarkable gains ever seen in the pool - led qualifiers in her specialist event at the German Olympic trials in Berlin.

Well below best on 1:57.83, and racing in an Arena suit, she kept at bay Petra Dallmann, racing in a Speedo LZR Racer and taking the second berth for Beijing in 1:58.60, with Meike Freitag third in 1:59.40. The absent Britta Steffen will- or could, depending on what ou read where (clarity will doubtless emerge) - make up the 4x200m A team but said on German television a few moments ago that she would focus only on the 50m and 100m as solo events in Beijing.

Lurz told PPS Cosmos in Berlin: 'I'm relieved. I managed another good time and secured selection for Beijing. I was really annoyed with my 400m freestyle yesterday. It's a pity, that Britta Steffen is not available for the 4x200 m relay. She would have been a pivotal link. But maybe we've not heard the last word on that one.'

The suit debate was discussed at length on German television, with the likes of Orjan Madsen, head coach, Thomas Rupprath and commentator Franziska van Almsick, former world record holder in the 200m freestyle, all stating that they felt that the LZR Racer was having a significant impact on performance. Sarah Poewe wore it on her way to the European record of 1:07.10 in the 100m breaststroke, but Helge Meeuw wore adidas leggings on the way to his 100m back European record.

Germany has a dilemma: it is home to adidas. Most of those wearing the adidas PowerWeb have expressed satisfaction in the suit. Steffen endorsed it wholly on television today, saying she was 'very happy in it - it's what I'll be wearing'. Madsen said that he believed that swimmers should be allowed to wear whatever they felt best in, while Van Almsick, who described the panels on the LZR as being like 'paper ... something that I never swam in', saw it from all sides, noting that the situation put everyone in an impossible position, includinf federations, which made money from suitmakers as sponsors.

The 200m butterfly title went to Toni Embacher (SV Halle, Saale) in 2:00.28, outside Olympic target. Michael Gross: room for a comeback yet, perhaps, in these aspirational days for thirty and forthysomethings.

After three of six days of racing, 13 finals have placed 14 entries on the sheet for individual events and five events have produced no qualifier.

Katharina Schiller (VfV Hildesheim) and Sonja Schöber (SG Dortmund) claimed their places in Beijing in the 200m medley in 2:13.73 and 2:14.48.

In non-Olympic events, Christin Zenner (VfV Hildesheim) got the better of Janine Pietsch (SC Delphin Ingolstadt) 28.45 to 28.51 in the 50m backstroke, and Johannes Neumann (SC Riesa) took the 50m breaststroke in 28.10. In the men's 800m freestyle, Christian Kubusch (SC Magdeburg) set a German record of 7:49.22.