Heptathlete Ivona Dadic decided against competing in Oregon, her focus is now on the European Championships a month later in Munich. Because of several minor injuries, the build-up of form was repeatedly delayed, according to a broadcast by the ÖLV.
“It really hurts not to be in Eugene now, I’ve been preparing for these big events all year. It didn’t feel right at first, but it’s definitely for the best,” said Dadic. “When I go to a World Cup, I want to be competitive at the same level as in recent years, but I’m not at the moment. I just lack specific units and security in the competitions.”
She now has six weeks to get in shape, explained the EM third from 2016. “I will now focus fully on the EM so that I can show my old self there.” Trainer Philipp Unfried explained that especially in the technical competitions the necessary stability for a World Cup was not yet there. “With regard to the European Championship, too, it certainly makes more sense that way, because with all the stress of traveling and the time change in the USA, a lot of training time would be lost for Munich.”
Dadic was sixth at the World Championships in London in 2017, and retired injured in Doha in 2019. With the 2019 World Cup third, Verena Mayr (qualified) and Sarah Lagger (invited by World Athletics), two other Austrian heptathletes would have been eligible to compete in Eugene, but both are injured or not fit. The discus Olympic bronze medalist Lukas Weißhaidinger has a chance of a medal, as well as javelin thrower Victoria Hudson and 400m sprinter Susanne Walli.
Source: Nachrichten
