The World Championships in Athletics in Eugene (USA) will take place without Austria’s hope for a medal, Ivona Dadic. On Saturday, the heptathlete from Union St. Pölten, who is struggling with injuries this year, announced that she would not start at the World Championships.
The form curve of the Olympic eighth in Tokyo had actually pointed up recently. However, the World Cup preparations repeatedly stalled due to thigh problems, and Ivona Dadic was no longer able to make up for this training deficit: “The World Cup wouldn’t have made any sense now, I wouldn’t have been at a competitive level to play at the front.”
Dadic had to skip the entire winter season, including the World Indoor Championships. She only started the season at the Balkan Championships in Romania in mid-June, but ended the competition prematurely following the first day. After unsatisfactory performances in the long jump and javelin throw, she did not compete on the second day of the competition because of the heat, preferring to save energy.
New season goal
Instead, the 28-year-old now wants to concentrate on the European Championships in Munich in mid-August. Until then, Dadic wants to eliminate the last technical uncertainties with trainer Philipp Unfried, physically the way is already right. “But the all-around is merciless in that you have to deliver seven disciplines in a row and at a very high level,” explains Unfried.
This stability is now the next training goal. Dadic still has five weeks to get into the final EM form. The preparation will take place at the facility in St. Pölten or in Dadic’s old home in Upper Austria. According to Unfried, it is important to get security in all competitions and to do fine tuning.
A Lower Austrian at the World Cup
After Ivona Dadic’s cancellation, Lower Austria is only represented by javelin thrower Victoria Hudson from SV Schwechat. In addition, discus thrower Lukas Weißhaidinger and 400-meter sprinter Susanne Walli are representing Austria at the World Championships in the USA starting next Friday.