athletics
Law of the Mihambo series: “Mega badass year” announced
The German long jumper Malaika Mihambo in action. photo
© Hendrik Schmidt/dpa-Zentralbild/dpa
Two stars of German athletics promise a successful World Championship season when they appear in Dessau. Malaika Mihambo had a “good feeling”, Gina Lückenkemper was “mega happy”.
Standing kindly and patiently Malaika Mihambo a good 45 minutes in front of the grandstand, signed autographs and smiled while taking selfies with their fans. With 6.66 meters, the Olympic long jump champion won the 25th Anhalt Meeting and set her best performance for the year. Despite the delayed start of the season caused by a cold, she sees herself on the right track. “Of course, you still notice the lack of training. Today, technical errors made me fall short of my potential,” said the 29-year-old of the German Press Agency.
At the same time, the two-time world champion gave the all-clear: “I’m definitely fit again. But it’s a bit difficult. It’s better to get sick when you’re already at 100 percent. If you were sick during the build-up, that just throws you further back,” explained Mihambo. To the World Cup Budapest from August 19th to 27th she looks confident. “By then everything will be back on schedule.”
And then there is the law of the (Mihambo) series. So far, the athlete from the LG Kurpfalz has also won an international title after every victory at the Dessau Anhalt Meeting, which can be taken as a good omen. “I just take it with me as a good feeling, but concentrate on what’s in my hands. I still want to achieve a few things and I’m very confident that I can do it,” said Mihambo, adding: “I already have that achieved a lot of great things that don’t have to be. I’d be happy if it happened again, but I’m trying to take it easy.”
Just like Mihambo, Gina Lückenkemper withstood the pressure and won the 100 meter sprint. With 11.04 seconds in the final, the 26-year-old from SCC Berlin did not run a best performance, but was able to confirm her strong form. This increase in form is mainly due to the training in the USA. “I’m allowed to train with world champions and Olympic champions in Florida. I’m grateful for the set-up. I benefit incredibly from it. If I have a question about sprint technique, I can ask Noah Lyles and get the best explanation,” said Lückenkemper enthusiastically.
“But for me it’s always nice to have the opportunity to run in front of a home crowd. It’s even nicer when we can athletics can also push and promote in our own country,” said Lückenkemper and announced a “mega-crass year”: “I still have an unfinished business with the World Cup last year. In the singles the times were good, but in the semifinals it was over again. I just really want to be in a World Cup final. That’s the big goal.”
In the run-up, a murmur went through the stadium. After all, the scoreboard was 10.98, but the tailwind was unacceptable (2.3 m/s). “But a ten before the decimal point is nice,” said the European champion from Munich. Second-placed Patrizia van der Weken from Luxembourg set a meeting and national record in a time of 11.02 seconds with a tailwind of 1.3. In the final, she finished second with 11.10 seconds ahead of Canada’s Khamica Bingham, who ran 11.25 seconds.
In the men’s category, Julian Wagner from LC Top Team Thüringen impressed in the 100 meter lead with a German year’s best time of 10.11 seconds. In the final he finished third in 10.23 seconds behind Poland’s Dominik Kopec (10.05) and Munich’s Yannik Wolf (10.20). His Thuringian colleague Thomas Röhler could not keep up. The Olympic javelin champion from Rio de Janeiro posted 78.23 meters in the first attempt, but then couldn’t improve and finished fifth. World champion Anderson Peters from Grenada secured the victory with 81.18 meters.
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