2023-08-28 05:39:00
Gina Lückenkemper and Co. had the worst World Cup in history, in the end it was even an embarrassing “Salto Nullo”: Only eleven months before the Olympic Games, German athletics is on the ground.
The national team goes home without a single medal, which has never happened before. Even the British Virgin Islands were more successful at the World Cup in Budapest.
“A tragedy – without words,” said decathlon legend Jürgen Hingsen to “SID” regarding the German performance. European javelin champion Julian Weber missed the last chance to prevent the fiasco in the World Cup finish. The man from Mainz was fourth with 85.79 m, so the “worst case” actually occurred that DLV President Jürgen Kessing had feared so much.
Weber’s fourth and four fifth places like decathlon shooting star Leo Neugebauer were the best results, some DLV athletes got involved – but it wasn’t enough for the big limelight. A year following the great moments at the home European Championships in Munich, it was painfully evident how far the world leaders had rushed.
Setback in the medal fight: Neugebauer leaves feathers in the discus
Bügner with devastating judgment
In many disciplines you have “lost the connection”, admitted DLV sports director Jörg Bügner. One cannot be “satisfied” with the general performance and the “current situation”: “We have to see how we can overcome the distance to the world’s best in the future.” This has developed “significantly”.
Team captain Lückenkemper didn’t want to blame anyone. “We have already seen very, very good performances here in the German team, which are worthy of all honor. And I would definitely not sweep that under the table,” said the European champion.
But these “very, very good performances” are no longer enough in the world.
Only fifth place in the semifinals: Lückenkemper missed the 100m final
Hopes for Mihambo or cousin
Head national coach Annett Stein must hope that stars like the ailing Malaika Mihambo (long jump) or Johannes Vetter (javelin) will be fit once more for Paris 2024. But “excuses”, Bügner had emphasized in advance, “do not exist”.
Instead, those responsible had hoped for surprises. However, these were only on a small scale – and if they did, then others performed better than the Germans. The DLV team delivered a better picture than last year in Eugene.
However, this was not enough to get involved at the very front – as did European teams (Spain, Sweden, Great Britain).
Malaika Mihambo
Fotocredit: Getty Images
Hingsen: “We stopped”
“Some people have to ask themselves what’s going wrong. I don’t have a convincing concept. We stopped, the world keeps turning,” said Hingsen.
The second German team captain, Christopher Linke, also doesn’t believe “that we’re currently too bad. Maybe the international competition is just too strong,” said the walker. He himself had to experience this bitterly: His two German records over 20 and 35 km did not help him to a medal, but “only” to two fifth places.
Honsel shines in the final with a personal best
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