Steffen Looks Strong at German Championships

HANNOVER, Germany, November 27. FOUR months after she took the swimming world by storm with a global standard in the 100-meter freestyle at the European Championships, Germany's Britta Steffen enjoyed a strong showing at the German National Championships over the weekend. The event, which served as the selection meet for next year's World Championships in Melbourne, also featured some quality performances from Annika Lurz.

Despite fighting off illness, Steffen took first place in her primary discipline by covering the 100 free in 53.78. Although the time was off her world record of 53.30, it proved that Steffen could go lower in Melbourne, where she's expected to be challenged by Aussie Libby Lenton and the American tandem of Amanda Weir and Natalie Coughlin. Lurz was second to Steffen in 55.11.

Steffen also zoomed through the 50 freestyle, winning that event in 24.81, quicker than the 25.24 registered by Daniela Gotz. Aside from her individual duties, Steffen will play key roles for the German contingent in relay action, as a three-way battle figures to be spectacular with the United States and Australia also figuring into the mix.

While Steffen dominated the sprints, Annika Lurz (formerly Liebs) nearly set a world record in the 200 free when she touched the wall in 1:56.73, just off Franziska van Almsick's global mark of 1:56.64. Lurz's effort is the second-fastest in history and was complemented by a swim of 4:08.93 in the 400 freestyle. That outing handed Lurz a six-plus second triumph. Meanwhile, Thomas Lurz set a German record in the 800 free with a performance of 7:51.59.

In other action, veteran Mark Warnecke prevailed in the 50 breast in 28.18 and Antje Buschschulte won the 50 backstroke (28.92) and 50 butterfly (26.35). Buschschulte also finished second in the 100 back, behind Janine Pietsch (1:01.67), and in the 100 fly. The fly produced a German record by Samulski, who stopped the clock in 58.75. Janne Schafer doubled in the 50 and 100 breaststrokes (30.89/1:08.10) and Annika Mehlhorn captured the 200 fly in 2:12.26.

In other male competition, Thomas Rupprath swept the 50 fly (24.13) and 100 fly (53.20) and Jens Thiele took first in the 200 backstroke (1:59.60) and 200 individual medley (2:01.74).

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