Newsletter

European Athletics Championships in Munich: Alexandra Burghardt before the 200-meter sprint

AWhen Alexandra Burghardt switched to trainer Patrick Saile three years ago, the two set themselves a goal. She should no longer be the fifth wheel on the wagon, the one who came closest to the fastest women in Germany, but was not one of them. Alexandra Burghardt no longer wanted to be a reserve runner. The picture of success: At the European Championships in Munich, she was supposed to start for Germany in the Olympic Stadium.

The plan worked. “On ice. On tartan. Dahoam.” is written on a huge poster in downtown Munich that shows Alexandra Burghardt in the starting blocks. It not only demonstrates the state capital’s pride in this one of twelve Bavarian track and field athletes who will start at the European Championships this Monday.

Finals on Thursday

It also alludes to the fact that, alongside long jumper Malaika Mihambo, Alexandra Burghardt is the only one in the German selection of 112 athletes who has also won an Olympic and World Cup medal. At the Winter Games in Beijing in February, the 1.82 meter tall athlete thundered to the silver medal as a brakewoman in Mariama Jamanka’s bobsleigh. Just five months later she sprinted to third place in the German relay at the World Championships in Eugene/Oregon.

She doesn’t see herself at her destination for a long time. She is still moved by the prospect of starting in the Olympic Stadium in 1972. “I get goosebumps when I imagine in training that I will start at this European Championship,” she says. Instead of the hundred meters, the final of which is scheduled for Tuesday evening, she is registered for the two hundred meters with the final on Thursday evening.

In the past week, Alexandra Burghardt has been busy exchanging tickets. Friends, family and last but not least herself were surprised that she had qualified for the long sprint distance on her own. At the World Championships, she had started over a hundred meters and was eliminated in 11.29 seconds – far from her best time of 11.01 seconds.

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Trending