Athletics: Without Mihambo, without Ogunleye – a World Cup without importance?

A world championship takes place, but several athletes do not fly there at all. What would be unimaginable in many sports will become a reality at the hall of athletics in Chinese Nanjing on Friday – at least when looking at the German impression that is just eight.

No shot put Olympic champion Yemisi Ogunleye, no long jump star Malaika Mihambo. The two figureheads of the German Athletics Association (DLV) are missing in the title fights as well as the double European champion of 2022, Gina Lückenkemper, or the German sprint record holder Owen. International stars such as 100-meter Olympic champion Noah Lyles from the USA or the Dutch 400-meter runner Femke Bol shine through absence. Others – for example pole vault world recorder Armand Duplantis from Sweden – take on the long World Cup trip.

Because of Corona: Hallen World Cup follows two weeks after EM

The title fights in China were originally intended to rise in 2020 and thus as usual in the annual change to the Halle European Championship. However, the World Cup had to be moved several times due to corona, so that it is now on the program out of the series in an odd year and thus two weeks after the European Championship in Apeldoorn Dutch, in which Mihambo with bronze and Ogunleye with silver had still successfully participated.

Instead of fighting for an eternally long indoor season, the focus and preparation of the two German stars are aimed at summer. The DLV understands this. “You always have to see that: these are also hardships. It easily costs another three or four weeks in the structure,” says sports director Jörg Bügner.

Some athletes like Gesa Krause completely left competitions under the hall roof. Instead, the obstacle specialist devotes herself to the street run. Again, others like the German 100-meter record holder saw in the hall before Apeldoorn ended. Because the big goal is not called Nanjing, but Tokyo.

In September, a long athletics year ends in the Japanese capital with the highlight of the open-air World Cup. There the athletes want to reach their top shape. “It is of course more important outside,” says Mihambo. She is currently completing a training camp in the mountains and trying to strengthen her endurance with cross-country skiing, as the 31-year-old writes on Instagram. Because the athletes are only measured on their performance in Tokyo.

Dreifinger Hess leads mini contingent

Tokyo is also at the top of the priority list for three jumpers Max Hess. He will be one of the few from the DLV team in Nanjing. “I always think it’s great to measure myself with international competition,” says Heß.

The 28-year-old wants to expand his medal collection in the Middle Kingdom on Friday (4.05 a.m. CET). And the preliminary work gives courage: the Chemnitz is the second in the world year’s best list and got silver at the European Championship with a top width of 17.43 meters less than two weeks ago. Only Andy Díaz Hernández (17.71 meters) started for Italy jumped on.

Hess wants to crack ancient record

“Maybe you can turn the tableau over and swap the places,” says Hess in the hope of the very big coup. The 2016 European champion not only aims for precious metal, but also has a German ancient record in view. A certain Ralf Jaros set up the record of 17.66 meters in 1991, where even the former world champion Charles Friedek failed.

Hess dares to break the record. His jumps – even the best attempt in Apeldoorn – were not yet 100 percent. “We still have very small adjustment screws in the areas, these are minimal things that are missing.” In Nanjing he wants to try to do that better. And adds with a laugh: “And then we may be happy about a German record.”