ATUS Graz Trophy

Salzburg’s goldfish dive towards the European Championship qualifiers

Luca Karl could make the limit, but is focusing more on the open water.(Bild: Andreas Tröster)

Starting on Thursday, Salzburg's swimmers will be competing for the European Championship limits. Luca Karl has a good chance in Graz, but is aiming for the open water qualification. Luka Mladenovic has already qualified, but a start in Styria is out of the question for him. There are two hot contenders among the juniors.

From Thursday, the Auster in Graz will become a mini Olympics with the ATUS Trophy. Austria's best swimmers, led by Felix Auböck, Simon Bucher, Bernhard Reitshammer and Co. will be competing for new best times. Salzburg's goldfish are also in the thick of it, aiming to qualify for the European Swimming Championships from June 10 to 23 in Belgrade (Serbia) and the European Junior Championships in Vilnius (Lithuania) from July 2 to 7.

College swimmer not at the start
In the general class, the swimming union is sending Luca Karl, Kato Daiki and Florian Stefanik into the race. Anastasia Tichy, who has been studying at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln (USA) since last fall, had planned to compete but had to cancel. "Unfortunately, she won't be there," sighs association president Clemens Weis. Karl is nine seconds off the best time in the 1500 freestyle, where he has the best chance of qualifying. "Let's see how close I can get there," says the student, who believes it is possible. But qualifying for the European Open Water Championships in May would be more important to him anyway. "That would be a big goal of mine!"

Teammate Luka Mladenovic already has his ticket for the European Championships in Belgrade - fortunately. Because the athlete, who has long been plagued by glandular fever, cannot compete in Graz. Physically, he is already on the mend ("I'm still a bit tired"), but the 19-year-old injured his shoulder while surfing. "Now I'm training my legs a lot," says the exceptional talent.

Among the juniors, Katharina Schiessendoppler is the hottest ticket. The 15-year-old is three tenths of a second off the pace in the 100-meter freestyle and just one tenth off the pace in the 50-meter freestyle. "It would be very cool to be at the European Championships," says the Oberalm native. Nikolay Parvov also has a good chance.