Dhe shoulder still pinches and hurts, competitive sports are out of the question: Germany’s javelin record holder Johannes Vetter has canceled his start at the World Championships in Eugene. The 29-year-old didn’t even make the trip to the USA, the vague hope that it might be enough for a start has been dashed.
“I’ve been struggling with shoulder problems since the beginning of the season. I will need the coming weeks to digest this decision,” Vetter wrote on Instagram: “It’s hard to say when I’ll be able to compete again.”
Vetter hoped for success after the Olympics
The former world champion had already missed the German championship in Berlin in June because of the persistent inflammation in his shoulder. Despite the cancellations, he could still provide a highlight at the European Championships in Munich in August – provided his health allows it.
The recent cancellation is a hard blow for Vetter, last year he experienced a bitter disappointment as a top favorite at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. There he couldn’t cope with the floor covering at all, slipped several times – and ended up only in ninth place.
2022 should be a brilliant year for Vetter, but because of the painful shoulder injury there is now a big question mark behind the home European Championship in Munich (15th to 21st August).
In Eugene, German hopes in the javelin competition rest on Julian Weber, who won the title in Vetter’s absence at the DM at the end of June. The European championship second Andreas Hofmann (Mannheim), third at the German championships, is also in the DLV squad.
However, the two cannot match Vetter’s best distance of 97.76 meters: Weber is at 89.54 meters, Hofmann at 92.06 meters.
In addition to Vetter, sprinter Lilly Kaden (Dortmund) will also miss the World Cup due to injury. The 20-year-old, who wanted to start over 200 meters, suffered a torn muscle fiber four weeks ago, which continues to affect her. On Instagram she wrote: “I’m incredibly sad, but I’m looking ahead.” Nine days before the start of the title fights (July 15 to 24), the German squad is shrinking from 79 to 77 athletes.
“I’m sorry for both athletes that they can’t be at the World Championships. I wish them a speedy recovery and hope that they will soon be able to start competing again,” said DLV chief national coach Annett Stein.
