Whether over the hurdles, the jumps or throws – the timing is still lacking. That was Verena Mayr’s conclusion after her season opener in Clermont-Ferrand (Fra) two weeks ago, where the all-around athlete finished sixth with 4396 points. Next Sunday, the 27-year-old wants to do better at the Austrian Indoor All-Around Championships in the Tips Arena in Linz. “I still have to release my inner handbrake,” says the native of Ebensee, describing the fact that she currently lacks the necessary confidence in her body.
This is not a wonder. Since her surprising World Cup bronzes in 2019, she had only completed one all-around up to Clermont-Ferrand – and that was at the Olympics (11th). The problems, which often emanate from the back, were so great even in Tokyo that Mayr could only sit on one side of the bottom on the way to the stadium.
For a World Cup ticket
This time of suffering has left its mark. Already in France she was able to regain some of the lost confidence in her own musculoskeletal system. “Nothing hurts, I’ve seen that the body can withstand the training.” She wants to build on that in Linz.
The aim is to move up the world rankings in order to get a starting place for the Indoor World Championships in Belgrade in March. “4500 points are necessary for this in any case,” calculates Mayr.
Since Ivona Dadic skips the indoor season, Sarah Lagger is Mayr’s big competitor for the title in Linz. The 22-year-old from the decathlon union is in good form and jumped 1.80 meters for the first time on Wienerberg on Saturday.
Source: Nachrichten
