European Championships: EM as a new opportunity for German athletics

In the timelessly beautiful Munich Olympic Stadium, German athletics want to tie in with former great moments under the tent roof and brighten up their gloomy picture of this summer.

At least a little bit, because some hopes for a medal are not there at the European Championships starting on Monday or, like long jump star Malaika Mihambo, had corona worries.

In the continental title fights, the chances of precious metal are still better than in the mostly joyless world championships a month ago in Eugene in the USA. In addition, there are the home fans behind you and most of the decisions about the best German television evening time instead of in the middle of the night: the conditions for the emotional high point of the season are objectively much better.

Sprint star wants to go to the EM

Sprinter Gina Lückenkemper hopes to create a completely different euphoria with the German team. “I’m really in the mood. I’m really happy to let the track burn in Munich,” said Lückenkemper: “I think it will be an incredibly beautiful championship.” The German sprinters had delivered the other German medal in addition to Mihambos gold with relay bronze at the World Cup. All in all, the 25-year-old thinks the atmosphere in the host team is very good and she is very excited about the European Championship.

Discus thrower Kristin Pudenz sees it a little more cautiously. “That would be a very nice exclamation mark that we can set,” said the disappointing Olympic silver medalist at the World Cup. It shows that you stick together as a team, even when things don’t go so well. Triple jumper Neele Eckhardt-Noack is hoping for a very good performance by the German team. “But it doesn’t iron out what didn’t work out in Eugene,” she said.

After her confirmation to start, Mihambo is the greatest hope despite a previous corona infection and was already challenged in the qualification on Tuesday. Above all, their mental strength should serve as a role model. “I might not jump 7.31 now, but I can certainly still jump over seven meters. But you really have to tell yourself that every day and trust yourself,” explained the Olympic champion and defending champion.

Javelin aces are missing

19 medals like at the big EM festival four years ago in the Berlin Olympic Stadium are unlikely to be the case this time. “The European Championships in Munich will certainly not be a sure-fire success,” said head national coach Annett Stein. “The absence of some top performers doesn’t necessarily make our mission any easier.” The javelin aces Johannes Vetter and Christin Hussong are missing, as is the two-time European steeplechase champion Gesa Krause. Others such as Mihambo or the walkers Jonathan Hilbert and Christopher Linke suffered from corona infections before, during or after the World Cup.

There are first chances on Monday in the marathon, among others through Amanal Petros and Katharina Steinruck as well as in the team classification. The races will start as scheduled at 10.30am for women and 11.30am for men. Since it shouldn’t be as hot as feared at 25 degrees, the start times remain the same. Even so, the conditions will demand everything from the participants. Petros wants to divide the 42.195 kilometers wisely. The German twin sisters Deborah and Rabea Schöneborn want to cool down as much as possible before the start.

In the shot put competitions and the women’s 10,000 meters with Konstanze Klosterhalfen, the first decisions will be made in the evening (6.15 p.m. / ZDF) in the Olympic Stadium. But the focus is also on the decathletes with Niklas Kaul and Arthur Abele: while the frequently injured defending champion Abele says goodbye, Kaul could already give this EM the first big boost. The ex-world champion wants to be in a physical condition “which is better than ever”.