Claudia Pechstein won her 40th national title at the start of the German speed skating championships in Inzell.
The 49-year-old Berliner won over 3000 meters in 4: 11.82 minutes ahead of Michelle Uhrig (Berlin / 4: 16.27).
Third place went to Victoria Stirnemann (Erfurt), the 19-year-old daughter of record world champion Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann, with a personal best of 4: 16.92 minutes.
For Pechstein, the company is starting the eighth Olympic Games.
Thanks to her title win, she is now already a participant in the first four World Cup races, in which the tickets for the Winter Games in Beijing will be awarded.
The Berliner will also be at the start in Inzell over 5000 meters and in the mass start.
Pechstein would be the first woman to take part in the winter games for the eighth time.
So far this has only been granted to the Japanese ski jumper Noriaki Kasai.