Three German runners are in the European Championship final over 3000 meters steeplechase. Karl Bebendorf and Frederik Ruppert are in the lead. There is a medal.
The German steeplechase runner Karl Bebendorf won bronze at the European Athletics Championships in Rome. The 28-year-old from Dresden only had to admit defeat to the Frenchmen Alexis Miellet and Djilali Bedrani after the 3000 meters in 8:14.41 minutes. Miellet won in 8:14.01 minutes, Bedrani ran 8:14.36 minutes.
“I’m happy that I managed to get through this crazy time,” said Bebendorf after setting a personal best. “Now I’m going on vacation and then we’ll see each other again at the Olympics in Paris.” He’s skipping the German championships in Braunschweig at the end of June in preparation for the Olympics.
It’s been a long time
The last German medal over this distance was in 1998, when Damian Kallabis became European champion. Bebendorf almost sprinted to silver and also achieved a personal best time, as did Frederik Ruppert from Tübingen, who came in a strong fourth in 8:15.08 minutes. Velten Schneider from Sindelfingen came in 16th. “Of course it’s the wooden medal, but I’m still happy,” said Ruppert on ZDF.
The Italian Osama Zoghlami broke away early from the field, which initially did not react, but caught up with the local hero before the final lap. The two Frenchmen had the greatest reserves in the end, and Bebendorf ran to a medal this time after finishing fifth in Munich two years ago.
400 meters give hope
Jean Paul Bredau from Potsdam had previously run the 400 meter final in 45.11 seconds, coming in seventh. The new European champion was the Belgian Alexander Doom in 44.15 seconds, ahead of the Briton Charles Dobson, who ran 44.38 seconds. Third place went to the Dutchman Liemarvin Bonevacia in 44.88 seconds. The four-time European champion Matthew Hudson-Smith from Great Britain had cancelled his participation in the European Championships.
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.
