While they did not sweep the podium as they had done in Schliersee, Buschhütten were nonetheless a cut above their rivals in Düsseldorf. A third race of the Bundesliga therefore yielded a third win.
As much as the overall title is essentially decided, there are still plenty of points to focus on throughout the standings. Potsdam commenced their rise after not starting in Schliersee. Bonn continued their efforts to hold of the challenge of KTT 01. Lüneburg also fought against their sliding ranking in a quest to recapture the momentum they had after Kraichgau.
Read on, then, to find out exactly how the situation looks after Düsseldorf.
1st) EJOT Team TV Buschhütten – 60 points (no change)
In addition to the German Mixed Team Relay crown, Buschhütten added the women’s title through Lisa Tertsch’s win in Düsseldorf.
Annika Koch and Tanja Neubert followed in 4th and 5th, respectively, to seal what was ultimately a comfortable victory. With a 7 point gap at the top, the title is close to being confirmed. All Buschhütten basically have to do is show up for the final two races.
2nd) Team Berlin – 53 points (no change)
Tina Christmann has been a gem for the team this year. After finishing 15th in Schliersee, she turned out to be the top finisher for Berlin in Düsseldorf in 23rd place. Lina Völker was a place back in 24th, while Thalia Stach was another place behind in 25th.
That ultimately put Berlin in 5th place. With a 6 point buffer over Bonn, they will take that.
3rd) SSF Bonn Triathlon Team – 47 points (no change)
Daryna Moskalenko returned to lead the way in 13th place. However Eva Daniëls has not really been able to get going this year after injury. She could only manage 31st in Düsseldorf. Ronja Steiling then finished 32nd as Bonn finished 6th overall.
They were only 4 points (in terms of finishing positions) behind Berlin but realistically they will struggle to push for a top-2 spot.
As things stand, Bonn may need to focus on the teams below as they have been drawn into a tight battle to hold on to 3rd place.
4th) Absolute Teamsport KTT 01 – 46 points (up 1 place)
KTT 01 proved that their stellar showing in Schliersee was no fluke as they finished 4th in Düsseldorf. In a fantastic showing, all three of their scorers made it into the top-20.
Anna Busse led the way in 11th, while Maite Küstner was next home in 15th place. Josephine Seerig rounded out their scorers in 17th.
What ultimately separated KTT 01 from the three teams ahead in Düsseldorf was an individual medallist. Having someone in the top-3 wen a long way to putting rivals like Witten and Potsdam ahead. If KTT 01 can continue their improvement and get one of Busse, Seerig or Küstner onto a podium, they could rise even higher on a regular basis.
5th) triathlon.one Witten – 40 points (up 6 places)
Witten put three women into the top-10 and gave Buschhütten their biggest scare of the season. Whereas all four of Buschhütten’s team made the front pack, three of Witten’s athletes did so. When the leaders arrived into T2, then, Witten were still in a position to win the round.
Although were not able to take the win, Witten nonetheless came away with their best finish of the year.
Marlene Gomez-Göggel was again their top athlete. She improved upon her 4th place in Schliersee with a bronze medal. Anabel Knoll was next to cross the line in 6th place while Anne Holm claimed 9th place.
Düsseldorf therefore demonstrated that Witten have the capacity to challenge Buschhütten at races. Over the course of the season, though, they need to find further depth to cover themselves when athletes like Knoll are absent.
6th) SG Dresdner Spitzen Triathlon Team / LTV Erfurt – 37 points (no change)
Caroline Pohle had another good race to take 8th place however the team laboured to 9th place overall.
Neither Sophie Schumann nor Emily Lucy Köpper had bad races, so to speak. Yet they could only manage finishes of 41st and 44th, respectively, which is a below what they are capable of. If Schuman and Köpper can bounce back at the next round in Tübingen, the team should be able to hang on to their spot in the top-6.
7th) Dr. Loges Triathlon Team Lüneburg – 36 points (down 3 places)
The promise of Lüneburg’s weekend fizzled out as Robin Dreyling and Lana Van Beek did not finish. Van Beek was therefore given 55th place (last in the standings) to fill in as Lüneburg’s third scorer.
Antonia Koch had a decent day on her way to 28th while Finja Loges had a similar race as she took 34th place. The lack of a third finisher, however, hurt Lüneburg and they ended up in 14th place.
Had Dreyling finished in the top-10, as she is capable of doing, Lüneburg could have fought for a place in the top-6. Despite their misfortune with DNFs, their chances of a top-6 in the end of season standings were unscathed by the race in Düsseldorf. However they are in a dogfight now.
They are tied on points with two other teams and could finish 10th just as easily as 5th or 6th if they are unlucky.
8th) Mey Post-SV Tübingen – 36 points (up 1 place)
Pia Wolf delivered once again for Tübingen with her 18th place. Close behind was Greta Groten who took 21st.
Karina Kornmüller had a solid day in 45th place. While she may have hoped for a little more, it was enough to help the team to 7th overall. As a result, they climbed 1 spot in the standings and are well in contention for a place in the top-6 at the end of the season.
With a home race up next for Tübingen, a big performance can be expected.
9th) Triathlon Potsdam e.V. – 36 points (up 6 places)
There was plenty to unpack from Potsdam’s weekend.
Selina Klamt was the highlight as she earned an outstanding silver medal, pushing Lisa Tertsch until the very end. Having ridden with Klamt at the front, a foot injury prevented Nina Eim from finishing the race.
On another day, Eim would certainly have been able to contribute some very valuable points and realistically would have bumped Potsdam from 3rd to 2nd overall. Covering her injury, though, was the sensible move.
In the absence of Eim, Potsdam received some encourgaing performances from two of their younger athletes.
Julia Bröcker almost broke into the top-10 as she finished 12th. Meanwhile, Leann Naima Dietzel finished 19th.
Having not raced in Schliersee, Potsdam slipped to 15th in the table. After Düsseldorf, they have bounced back into the top-10. Looking ahead of them, Witten certainly are there to be caught in 5th, however KTT 01 may be a little too far ahead in 4th.
10th) Karlsruher Lemminge – 34 points (up 3 places)
Another good finish, this time 8th place, has put Karlsruhe in the mix for a top-8 finish at the end of the season. Had a couple more things gone their way at the weekend, they could have even taken 6th place.
Seeing as they were only promoted in 2022, Karlsruhe are having a brilliant season.
Sabrina Fleig was very impressive on her way to 14th place. Claudia Wipfler and Valerie Moser also chipped in with finishes of 36th and 38th, respectively.
Given how many teams are closely bunched around Karlsruhe, they could end up outside the top-10 or inside the top-8. Based on their current form, it would be fair to expect them to push for a high finish.
11th) Team Bad Orb – Gesund im Spessart – 33 points (down 1 place)
Bard Orb can look up towards a potential top-10 finish after finishing 9th in Düsseldorf. They could even match their 10th place from the 2021 season.
Stephanie Weiß had a very good race on her way to 16th place. Amelie Hanf and Isabel Sterr also played their parts as they finished 35th and 42nd.
Last year, Bad Orb ended up in 14th in the standings and so are already on course to improve this year. However, the teams below are snapping at their heels. With only a 3 point lead over 14th, they could slip a few places if they have just one bad day.
12th) Sparda Bank Team Hagen – 33 points (down 5 places)
In a similar fashion to Karlsruhe and Bard Orb, Hagen were led by a focal point in Düsseldorf.
Tereza Zimovjanova rocked up and dropped a hugely important 10th place for the team. Zimovjanova’s performance went a long way to sealing 11th place overall and, without her, Hagen could have potentially slipped to 14th or 15th.
Dana Prikrylova was their next finisher in 37th while Valesca Zoe Wippich rounded out the team in 52nd.
Like Bad Orb, they should now be safe from relegation for this season. A place in the top-10 could also be on the cards but that may come down to whether Zimovjanova races again.
13th) Triathlon Team DSW Darmstadt – 30 points (down 5 places)
In contrast to Karlsruhe, Bad Orb and Hagen, Darmstadt did not put an athlete in the top-20 and that saw them slip to 13th.
Lucie Kammer was their top finisher in 30th. Niki Buggenhout followed in 40th while Alina Weber took 46th place.
The team have a 5 point cushion over the relegation zone and should be able to avoid the drop. Ideally, though, someone like Kammer will find another gear at the next two rounds and push towards the top-20.
14th) TSV Amicitia Viernheim – 30 points (down 2 places)
Maria Gabriele Paulig’s DNF proved a killer as what otherwise could have been a safe top-8 finish became 12th place.
With Helen Scheffold in 20th place and Kathrin Halter finishing 29th, Viernheim had all the pieces in place to have an excellent day. Unfortunately, Paulig’s spot of bad luck stopped that from happening.
As a result, Viernheim have slipped to 14th overall even if they deserve to be a little higher.
15th) HEIKOTEL Tri Team Hamburg – 25 points (down 1 place)
Three DNFs saw Hamburg finish last in Düsseldorf.
Jenny Jendryschik was the only athlete to make it over the line. She actually had a very good race on her way to 22nd place. However, with no one else finishing, it was always going to be mission impossible to record a good team finish.
If they can recapture their Schliersee levels, Hamburg will be able to save themselves. A 5 point gap at this stage, though, feels dangerous.
16th) SV Würzburg 05 – 23 points (down 2 places)
Würzburg took a step closer to catching Hamburg. However, Vera Nickel’s DNF may have turned a potential 14th place into their ultimate result of 15th.
Lea Cagol was their top finisher in 26th while Jule Resselberger settled in 47th place.
A 7 point gap to safety might be too much to overcome, though. At this stage, then, Würzburg look the likeliest candidates to be relegated in 2023.
