First a weak start in the European Championship final, then at least bronze: Yemisi Ogunleye secures the hoped-for medal in Rome.
Shot putter Yemisi Ogunleye is the first German medalist at the European Athletics Championships in Rome. After a very weak start, the 25-year-old from Mannheim threw 18.62 meters on Friday evening and won bronze.
“I came here and wanted a medal so much,” Ogunleye told ARD. “I fought with everything I had.”
Gold was possible
Ogunleye had already won silver at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow at the beginning of March. Even more would have been possible in Rome, as defending champion Jessica Schilder from the Netherlands only managed 18.77 metres to win the title. Teammate Jorinde van Klinken won silver with 18.67 metres.
“When I see the gold medal and the distance, it’s a bit of a shame. But I have no reason to be dissatisfied,” said Ogunleye after the first German medal in Rome. “I hope that this opens a door for all athletes. I am sure that it will not be the last medal.”
Colleagues are happy
Alina Kenzel from Stuttgart came in a strong fourth with 18.55 meters, Julia Ritter from TV Wattenscheid 01 came in seventh with 18.18 meters. “I’m happy, we have a medal,” said Ritter.
After qualifying without any problems in the morning with 18.40 meters, Ogunleye was still confident. In the evening, she was unable to get into the competition at all in the sparsely attended Olympic Stadium and began with a weak 17.04 meters.
Almost premature end
The third attempt with 17.87 meters was just enough for the spin thrower to jump to eighth place and three more attempts, otherwise she would have finished early. In the fifth round, Ogunleye managed a significant improvement and jumped to bronze. She was unable to take advantage of her last chance for a possible victory.
Source: Stern
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
