Isabelle Harle wins Women’s 400m freestyle final - 2011 German World Championships Selection Trial
SV Nikar Heidelberg’s Isabelle Harle, who qualified as the top fastest swimmer into the Women’s 400m final, has sustained her fastest spot to triumph the gold medal of the 400m event at the 2011 German World Championships Selection Trial.
Harle displayed her gruelling efforts in front of the arena, trying to secure her spot in the German team to the 2011 World Championships in Shanghai, this July.
The national champion pocketed the gold medal in a marvellous time of 4 minutes and 12.81 seconds. She had a comfortable lead of almost 1.5 seconds over her following swimmer, Silke Lippok. Lippok of SSG Pforzheim secured the silver medal by touching the
wall in a time of 4 minutes and 14.09 seconds. She was followed by Franziska Jansen of SV Nikar Heidelberg, who touched the wall for the bronze medal, producing an impressive time of 4 minutes and 14.96 seconds.
Harle was almost 13 seconds slower than the World and European record of 3 minutes and 59.15 seconds, made by Federica Pellegrini at the 2009 Rome World Championships. In addition, the national champion was almost seven seconds away from the German record
of 4 minutes and 05.84 seconds, set by Anke Mohring.
In the first round, Lippok had a lead of almost two seconds over German star swimmer, Harle. Lippok touched the wall first in a fastest time of 59.72 seconds, staying ahead of Franziska Jansen and Johanna Friedrich, who completed their first rounds in the
second and third fastest place, with timings of 1:01.06 and 1:01.15 minutes, respectively. Harle completed her initial round in the fifth fastest place, touching the wall in a time of 1:01.35 minutes.
Lippok maintained her lead of two seconds over Harle in the next round, where she completed her swim in 2:03.74 minutes against her rival’s 2:05.87 minutes effort. Harle geared up her swim in the third round and was almost only one second away from Lippok,
as she clocked a time of 3:09.59 minutes behind Lippok’s 3:08.07 minutes.
In the next lap, both swimmers tried to oust each other for the top spot on the podium, but Lippok sustained her lead and entered the final lap as the fastest swimmer.
In the crucial final lap, Harle cruised her way to the finishing wall and claimed the gold medal by leaving Lippok almost two seconds behind. In addition, Jansen also sprinted her way in the final lap, but was unable to overcome Lippok’s effort and finished
third behind her.
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