analyse
The German team’s greatest strengths came at the European Athletics Championships. However, the number of outliers at the top was limited overall. The Olympic starters still have work to do before Paris. Italy excelled at their home game in Rome.
On the final day, Germany’s greatest hopes once again improved the German Athletics Association’s (DLV) medal tally, which had been modest up to that point: Malaika Mihambo flew to long jump gold with the second longest jump of her career, the only one for the DLV at this European Championship. Javelin thrower Julian Weber narrowly missed out on successfully defending his title and won silver.
There was also bronze for pole vaulter Oleg Zernikel, who also secured his Olympic ticket, as well as the men’s relay teams over 4×100 and 4×400 m – and thus moments of surprise that the German team had been lacking a little up to that point, at least in terms of counting.
Eleven medals for the DLV team
In total, the German team won eleven medals at the continental championships in the Italian capital, one gold medal by Mihambo, three silver medals and seven bronze medals. In the national rankings, Germany moved up to third place, behind the outstanding hosts Italy and France.
Italy furious at home game
These statistics cannot keep up with the result after the heady days two years ago at the European Championships in Munich. This was not to be expected either. At the time, the DLV team was number one in the national rankings with seven gold and silver medals each and two bronze medals. This time, the Italians came out on top at their home event with an incredible 24 medals (11/9/4).
Fabulous, but also announced in advance by Olympic high jump champion and Italy’s captain Gianmarco Tamberi, who not only put on a great show himself under the watchful eye of President Sergio Mattarella, but also put on an outstanding competition. Paris is coming for the Azzurri.
Mihambo gets goosebumps himself
Also for Mihambo, who was in top form in time for the first highlight of the season and broke the magical seven-meter mark three times in Rome. She had not managed that yet this season. In particular, the phenomenal, almost perfect jump of 7.22 m gives the 30-year-old confidence for the Summer Games, where she could become the first long jumper to win the Olympic gold medal for the second time in a row.
“I’m looking forward to Paris,” she said after her amazing performance, which gave her goosebumps out of sheer happiness at the “extraordinary performance.”
The stars shine and deliver records
However, just seven weeks before the mega sporting event in France, many other German Olympic athletes still have work to do. The much-quoted assessment of the situation in Rome was missing a big exclamation mark, while the competition was already boasting top marks and world-class performances. Championship records were falling in abundance in the Stadio Olimpico, which was mostly poorly attended but had a great atmosphere. The stars around Armand Duplantis, Karsten Warholm, Femke Bol, Jakob Ingebrigtsen, Nafi Thiam and co. shone and, alongside the Italians, provided a top-class athletics festival.
DLV sports director Bügner sees “small trend reversal”
The DLV athletes often played a good role, but rarely a leading role. Association sports director Jörg Bügner recognized a “small trend reversal” compared to the historically poor World Championships in Budapest last year, but at the same time “no reason at all to be euphoric.” The continental championships did not represent a clear revival after the medal-less World Championships in Hungary.
Krause delighted after maternity leave
One of the highlights on the Tiber was provided by an athlete who was absent on the Danube – and for good reason. Just one year after the birth of her daughter, Gesa Krause was back in top form and ran to silver in the 3,000 m steeplechase.
In Germany’s new flagship discipline, Karl Bebendorf, wearing CR7 underpants, sprinted to the Olympic standard and bronze – the first German European Championship medal for men in the steeplechase since 1998. Frederik Ruppert, who is likely to make it to the Summer Games via the rankings, completed the strong performance of the DLV aces in this tricky discipline by finishing fourth.
Runners with positive surprises
Other positive surprises included third-placed Emil Agyekum, who ran the 400 m hurdles in a personal best time of 48.36 seconds, placing him third on the all-time German best list and sixth in the final, as well as the 100 m sprinters around Owen Ansah, who have been struggling for years. The Hamburg native finished fifth in Italy’s Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs’ triumph before even making it onto the podium with the relay team.
Robin Ganter also made it to the final, but was unable to compete due to muscle problems. Since 2014 in Zurich, no DLV sprinter had reached the 100 m final of a European Championship. Majtie Kolberg, who finished fifth, also impressed with strong performances over 800 m, improving to 1:58.74 minutes.
The future belongs to hammer thrower Hummel
Hammer thrower Merlin Hummel finally threw himself into the European elite in Rome. The 22-year-old improved his personal best twice to 79.25 m – the Olympic standard and fourth place in a world-class field. He knows that the future belongs to him: “The others are all a few years older, I’ll catch them.”
Shot putter Yesimi Ogunleye has already done that, becoming the surprise runner-up in the indoor world championships. In Rome she was delighted with her third place, and the German record holder Amanal Petros was also ultimately satisfied with bronze as a soloist and with the team in the half marathon. But the overall impression was as so often in this European Championship week: there could have been more.
Blackout bei Sprinter Hartmann
The same goes for Joshua Hartmann, who had high hopes for the 200 m final. But the sprinter with huge potential stumbled to a false start and disqualification one day after his 25th birthday. A blackout, shattered dreams, once again. He will learn from this, said the German record holder (20.02) – we have heard that from him many times. He did not keep this promise in Rome.
Bügner: “Not performed in some areas”
The heptathletes also fell short of expectations, with Carolin Schäfer and Sophie Weißenberg abandoning the competition. The high jump also performed significantly worse than hoped, with the highly touted trio of women, including Europe’s best of the year, Marike Steinacker, abandoning the artistry of the discus throw at the crucial moment. Shanice Craft, third in the European Championships in 2014, 2016 and 2018, bluntly described her performance as “incompetent”.
“We have a good basis, but we have to admit that we have not performed well in some areas,” said Bügner. “In the next few weeks, we will analyze how we can improve our form and implement this in Paris – hopefully in medals.”
Level on the world stage significantly higher
That will be difficult enough. The level has already increased enormously in Europe, said Gina Lückenkemper, who is dreaming of her first Olympic final appearance. In Rome, the defending champion had to settle for fifth place in the 100 m final, after her triumph in the relay two years ago, this time she came fourth.
All European Champions from Rome All European Champions from Rome
On the world stage, the class with the strong Americans and Africans is at a much higher level, especially in the areas of running and jumping. However, a result like the disappointing World Championships in Budapest should not be repeated.
Neugebauer matures into a gold candidate in the distance
It doesn’t have to be, because there are some hopefuls. In addition to Mihambo, this is primarily the decathlete Leo Neugebauer, who skipped Rome and instead took part in the college championships in the USA. With 8,961 points, he improved his own German record and is now the favorite for gold at the Games.
Also the After finishing fourth in a decathlon with ups and downs, dethroned European champion Niklas Kaul wants to eliminate his weaknesses before Paris and can enter the medal fight with two perfect days. Javelin thrower Weber is also one of the favorites. And then? There are still some chances – if more breakaways manage to move up than during the days of the European Championships in Rome.
