Freestyle swimmer Sarah Köhler clearly missed her second medal at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Three days after bronze in the 1500 m, the 27-year-old struck seventh in the final of the 800 m after 8: 24.56 minutes, with six seconds missing from the second precious metal. Gold went to world record holder Katie Ledecky, who celebrated her seventh Olympic victory, ahead of Australian Ariarne Titmus and Italian European champion Simona Quadarella. “I’m a bit speechless about an 8:24, I went through 1500 much faster,” said Köhler on ARD: “Now others have taken their chance and I missed mine.” The fact that her lead time was enough for bronze and that she was slower in the final was “quite disappointing”. On Wednesday, the vice-world champion over 1500 m ended the dry spell of the German pool swimmers with the first Olympic medal in 13 years. Previously, double Olympic champion Britta Steffen had won the last precious metal in Beijing in 2008, after which there were zero numbers in London and Rio de Janeiro.
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Triathlon: Great Britain has won the Olympic premiere of the mixed relay in triathlon. The quartet prevailed on Saturday in Tokyo’s Odaiba Marine Park with 14 seconds ahead of the USA. The team from France won bronze. The German team that started with Laura Lindemann (Potsdam), Anabel Knoll (Nuremberg), Jonas Schomburg (Hanover) and Justus Nieschlag (Lehrte) finished sixth under the eyes of IOC boss Thomas Bach, 36 seconds behind bronze.
In Lindemann, Germany sent its top trump card into the race, the World Cup third handed over to the strong swimmer Schomburg in second almost at the same time as the leading USA. In fifth place, it was almost 30 seconds ahead. As expected, the 27-year-old stayed in the top group in swimming and on the bike, sending Knoll on their lap in fourth behind Great Britain, the USA and the Netherlands.
The daughter of the former national coach Roland Knoll held the position at temperatures of around 30 degrees and handed over to Nieschlag after a strong race. The 29-year-old fought a three-way battle for fourth place with Belgium and the Netherlands, but had to admit defeat to both competitors in the sprint. The mixed competition was part of the Olympic program for the first time. Starting with a triathlete, each team member had to swim 300 meters, cycle 6.8 kilometers and then run two kilometers. After withdrawing from Austria due to an injury, 16 teams ultimately started in Tokyo Bay.
The British triathlon team.
(Foto: Leon Neal/Getty Images)
400 meter mixed relay: The German mixed relay over 4 x 400 meters can now start in the Olympic final. As a spokesman for the German Athletics Association (DLV) announced on Saturday in Tokyo, the quartet is moving up as the ninth team. The final will take place on Saturday (2.35 p.m. / CEST). Marvin Schlegel, Corinna Schwab (both Chemnitz), Ruth Sophia Spelmeyer-Preuß (Oldenburg) and Manuel Sanders (Dortmund) finished fifth in the second heat on Friday after 3: 12.94 minutes. Because the jury later withdrew the disqualifications of the USA and the Dominican Republic, the season only finished ninth and was therefore out again for the time being.
The DLV protested against it. “Perhaps there is still a regulation in the interests of the athletes who go out on the ninth track,” said Idriss Gonschinska, DLV board member for competitive sports, on ARD before the positive decision for the German mixed relay team.
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