The German swimmers started the pool competitions at the World Championships in Japan with two national records.
First, European champion Isabel Gose improved her own record from the Olympic Games in Tokyo in the 400 m freestyle by 19 hundredths of a second to 4:03.02 minutes and qualified fourth in the final on Sunday evening (07/23/2023, local time). Then Lucas Matzerath, third at the European Championships, broke the two-year-old German record set by Fabian Schwingenschlögl in the 100m breaststroke by 21 hundredths in 58.74 seconds.
In addition, Angelina Köhler missed the 100 m butterfly in 57.23 seconds by just one hundredth of her own record, which she set at the Berlin Open in April. But Gose’s friend Lukas Märtens, who swam fifth in the final over 400 m freestyle, has the best chance of a medal.
Gose in the final against Titmus, Ledecky and McIntosh
“It was important to me to swim a best time again – for the feeling and for the head”, said Gose, who will be starting in what is perhaps the most spectacular final of the World Championships in the evening: Australian Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus, US superstar Katie Ledecky and 16-year-old Canadian world record holder Summer McIntosh are fighting for the 400m title. “I have extreme respect for the three of them, what they conjure up in the pool, hats off,” said gose, “It’s a huge honor to be a part of it.”
Märtens: “I was able to conserve a few more strengths”
Half an hour earlier, European Champion Märtens grabs his second World Cup medal after last year’s silver. “That’s what I set out to do from the start, and I’m going in with that goal in mind,” said the 21-year-old from Magdeburg after 3:44.42 minutes: “I was able to conserve a few more forces.” Like Köhler, Matzerath will first go to the semi-finals. “It has been hinted at a bit lately,” said the 23-year-old from Frankfurt about his German record, the third-best time in the field: “It was actually clear that it would finally work. I’m super happy.”
Köhler: “I flew correctly”
Third fastest was also Köhler. “I was super surprised, but I felt so good swimming, I really flew”, said the Berliner.
The 4x100m freestyle relay missed the final by a hundredth of a second. Rafael Miroslaw, Josha Salchow, Luca Armbruster and Peter Varjasi had to settle for ninth place in 3:14.04 minutes. Märtens’ training colleague Oliver Klemet, third at the World Championships in open water over 10 km, also failed in 21st over 400 m freestyle (3:49.79).