athletics
Triple jumper Heß became German indoor champion with the 17-meter jump
Triple jumper Max Heß exceeded the prestigious mark of 17 meters at the indoor DM. photo
© Sebastian Willnow/dpa
Former triple jump European champion Max Heß secured his eighth German indoor championship title with a strong performance. At the title fights in Leipzig, the 27-year-old from Chemnitz surpassed the prestigious mark of 17 meters with 17.03 meters.
Former triple jump European champion Max Heß secured his eighth German indoor championship title with a strong performance. At the title fights in Leipzig, the 27-year-old from Chemnitz surpassed the prestigious mark of 17 meters with 17.03 meters.
The international standard for the World Indoor Championships in two weeks Glasgow is 17.25 meters. However, there is also still the chance to qualify via the world rankings.
As in the previous year, Christina Honsel, who finished eighth in the World Championships, won the high jumper title. The 26-year-old from TV Wattenscheid 01 was the only athlete to master 1.91 meters.
Krause wins title over 3000 meters
The two-time European obstacle champion Gesa Krause won the 3000 meter title for the second time. The 31-year-old prevailed after an energetic final lap in 9:06.90 minutes. Elena Burkard – like Krause an obstacle specialist – came second in 9:08.39 minutes, ahead of Eva Dieterich from Tübingen in 9:10.21 minutes.
“I always used to have a good last lap. It wasn’t that easy at the beginning after the pregnancy. It’s good that it’s still there. The title means a lot to me,” said Krause and was very proud. For Krause, the title fights after her maternity break are a step towards her desired return to the top international level in the 3000 meter steeplechase. In Leipzig she also qualified for the 1500 meter final this Sunday.
Pole vaulters disappoint
The German pole vaulters, however, were disappointing. Oleg Zernikel, who was fifth in the World Championships, jumped 5.45 meters to win the title. The athlete from ASV Landau was the only one to have mastered this height in the first attempt. The defending champions Bo Kanda Lita Baehre and Torben Blech as well as old champion Raphael Holzdeppe in his last season came in equal second.
None of the quartet then mastered their next height. For Blech it was 5.55 meters, while for last year’s European Championship runner-up Lita Baehre, Zernikel and former world champion Holzdeppe, who were injured for a long time, 5.65 meters were each too high. “We have the Olympic Games ahead of us. You can’t get up there at 40,” said Zernikel.