2023-08-14 13:20:05
The list of prominent failures in the German team for the upcoming World Championships in Athletics in Budapest (19th to 27th August) is getting longer and longer. On Monday (08/14/2023) the 5,000 m European Champion Konstanze Klosterhalfen canceled her start.
The reason is persistent foot problems, as the management of the 26-year-old announced. “Until the very end we had hoped that a start at the World Cup would work out. We wish her that she can start again fit for the Olympic season,” said DLV head coach Annett Stein. The German team for Budapest now consists of 72 athletes.
Mihambo, Lita Bahre and Meyer are also missing
Most recently, with long jump Olympic champion Malaika Mihambo and vice European champions Lea Meyer (obstacle) and Bo Kanda Lita Baehre (pole vault), prominent DLV athletes had to miss the season highlight. The sprinters Alexandra Burghardt and Lisa Mayer, who were part of the bronze relay at the World Championships in Eugene, are also missing.
The hopes of doing better than in the disappointing world title fights a year ago in the USA, when the DLV won fewer medals than ever before, are reduced by the cancellations.
Negative highlight of a messed up season
For Klosterhalfen, the cancellation is the negative highlight of a messed-up season. The year 2023 should be a new start for “Koko”. With her gold triumph at the “EM Dahoam” in Munich last year, the 26-year-old caused a sensation and then announced that she wanted to beat the “world” again on her parade route.
For this goal, Klosterhalfen then turned its environment inside out. The Leverkusen native changed coaches and is now coached by Irishman Alistair Cragg. The exceptional runner also changed her kit supplier (from Nike to Puma) after her contract with the US sporting goods giant expired.
Already missed at the DM because of foot problems
But Klosterhalfen didn’t really get going this year, she had already missed the German Championships in July in Kassel because of foot problems. Previously, a start in the Diamond League in Stockholm over 5,000 m had gone badly, Klosterhalfen said afterwards: “I don’t know what was going on.”
On Sunday (08/13/2023) she had posted pictures from the high-altitude training camp on Instagram, now the bitter rejection came – for Klosterhalfen and the German World Cup team.
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