Title fights in Budapest
Athletics President: Maybe surprise will succeed
Athletics President Jürgen Kessing is looking forward to the start of the World Championships. photo
© Swen Pförtner/dpa
After well-known failures, the German Athletics Association in Budapest must hope for surprises. A development should be examined more closely after the World Cup.
After the failure of some top German athletes, Association President Jürgen Kessing relies on surprising performances by other athletes.
“We almost lost the medals from last year,” said the President of the German Athletics Association in Budapest. “Those who move up can show what they’re made of. And maybe there will be one or two surprises.”
Lots of injuries
At the disappointing World Championships a year ago in Eugene, USA, the long jump Olympic champion Malaika Mihambo, who was missing this time due to an injury, won gold. As a further medal, the relay contributed over 4 x 100 meters bronze. After failures on the banks of the Danube, the quartet cannot perform at its best.
“We had planned to be much better than it was in Eugene last year,” Kessing told the German Press Agency. But that will be difficult. “We have as many injuries as many others. You have to work on that in peace, which is why this accumulation suddenly occurs. Now let’s see what happens,” said the 66-year-old.
Talents have to mature
Starting Saturday, the fight for World Championship medals will take place in Hungary’s capital for nine days. “Of course, the tension is slowly increasing. It’s about time we finally got going on Saturday,” said Kessing. “If every athlete delivers their best performance at the peak of the season, that’s an important success. Then you have to see whether it’s enough for final placements or even medals.”
The DLV is pursuing the ambitious goal of being among the top 5 in the world again by 2028. The World Cup in Budapest is “an important intermediate step for orientation,” said Kessing. It would take time for the measures taken after Eugene’s World Cup disappointment to take effect. The talents have to mature.
The greatest German medal hopes rest on the decathletes with European champion Niklas Kaul and the German record holder Leo Neugebauer as well as javelin European champion Julian Weber.