Britta Steffen brought the German Olympic trials to a close with a 24.19 national record in the 50m freestyle, that effort a chunk inside her best of 24.53 and a fingernail from the European record of 24.09 set by Marleen Veldhuis (NED) and not that far from the 23.97 world record of Libby Trickett (AUS) last month.
With an updated adidas suit help her gain that extra touch in time for Beijing now that we live in days of suit warfare? She must surely be wondering.
The distance events on the last day went to Jaana Ehmcke (Potsdamer SV) in 8:26.70 and on the Beijing roster, with Christian Kubusch missing his 15:02.16 target in the 1,500m with a winning time of 15:13.71. Thomas Rupprath (Rostock), clocked 52.05 in the 100m butterfly to lift his 72nd national title ahead of Benjamin Starke, also inside target time, on 52.23.
In the non-Olympic 50 breaststroke, Bath-based Janne Schafer clocked 31.25.
The German team is one full of holes, six events producing no qualifiers, and seven others producing one not two qualifiers. Compare events in Berlin with times in Australian and Britain and the influence of the suit is greater than many care to acknowledge. As Mark Schubert put it: 'It's a black and white choice.' Will the DSV heed the warning? Will adidas respond? So many questions left hanging because of the advent of the LZR, and so near to the Olympic Games.
THE GERMANY TEAM FOR BEIJING
Men:
50m free: Steffen Deibler (TG Biberach) 22.11; Rafed El-Masri (SG Neukölln) 22.26
100m free: Steffen Deibler (TG Biberach) 48.55
200m free: Paul Biedermann (SV Halle/Saale) 1:46.37; Steffen Deibler (TG Biberach) 1:47.71; relay - Benjamin Starke (SG Neukölln) 1:48.10
400m free: Paul Biedermann (SV Halle/Saale) 3:47.69; Christian Kubusch (SC Magdeburg) 3:47.96
100m back: Helge Meeuw (SG Frankfurt) 53.10 (European record); Thomas Rupprath (SC Empor Rostock 2000) 54.16
200m back: Helge Meeuw (SG Frankfurt) 1:57.92
100m 'fly: Thomas Rupprath (SC Empor Rostock 2000) 52.05; Benjamin Starke (SG Neukölln Berlin) 52.23
Women:
50m free Britta Steffen (SG Neukölln) 24.19
100m free Britta Steffen (SG Neukölln) 53.20 (European record)
200m free: Annika Lurz (SV Würzburg 05) 1:57.83; Petra Dallmann (SV Nikar Heidelberg) 1:58.60
800m free: Jaana Ehmcke (Potsdamer SV) 8:26.70
100m breast: Sarah Poewe (SG Bayer Wup/Uer/Dor) 1:07.10 (European record); Sonja Schöber (SG Dortmund) 1:08.17; Vipa Bernhardt (SG Frankfurt) 1:08.34
200m breast: Sarah Poewe (SG Bayer Wup/Uer/Dor) 2:25.53; Anne Poleska (SG Krefeld) 2:25.79; Vipa Bernhardt (SG Frankfurt) 2:26.87
100m 'fly Daniela Samulski (SG Bayer Wup/Uer/Dor) 58.63
200m medley: Katharina Schiller (VfV Hildesheim) 2:13.73; Sonja Schöber (SG Dortmund) 2:14.48
400m medley Nicole Hetzer (SV Wacker Burghausen) 4:43.49.