Included in the relay pool of seven women for this year's european's are a quartet of women whose average age is under 21: Martha Koj, Jala Gangnus, Verena Sailer and Johanna Kedzierski.
Koj came second in the 60m in this season's national champs in 7.33. Kedzierski also came second in the 200m. Gangnus got silver in the U20 euro champs and set a PB of 23.38. Sailer got bronze in the U23 euro champs.
They are currently at a training camp in Portugal, and the other 3 women in the pool are Marion Wagner (who anchored Germany to world gold in Edmonton) Birgit Rockmeier and Katja Wakan. Three who may be considered are Gabi Rockmeier, Sandra Moller and Esther Moller, but sprint coach Thomas Kremer stressed the first 7 are the primary candidates because they are healthy and practising change overs at the moment.
Kremer stressed that the 4 youngsters must be nurtured correctly, using the WJCHamps in 2000 as an example, as only Schielke has had any relative success since, and she herself is struggling with injury.
There are also more stars in the younger Katja Börner , Anne Möllinger, Juliane Stolle, Anne-Kathrin Elbe and Julia Sutschet.