Gina Lückenkemper has remained true to her motto. The 28-year-old already has plenty of experience, so you can believe the sprinter when she says: “The duck poops in the back.” The fastest woman in Germany presented these crispy words before the final days at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, and when the final of the 4 × 100 meters was completed on Sunday, the final runner was able to fly home with satisfaction: it worked again, bronze for Germany!
As a year ago at the Olympics in Paris, the German women ranked third, this time in 41.87 seconds. The title went to the United States in 41.75 seconds before the quartet from Jamaica (41.79). And so a picture that was unusual this day suddenly developed in the Tokyo nation stadium: several athletes stood in German flags and beamed. Gold for decathlon Leo Neugebauer and bronze for the women’s relay prettied the balance in the final sprint for the German Athletics Association (DLV). However: that was also only enough for twelve in the medal mirror.
Better than at the Olympics – but in some disciplines, Germany is no longer represented at all
Five medals in Tokyo meant five medals more than in Budapest two years ago, as expected in a good mood, sports director Jörg Bügner presented himself. The World Cup has shown that “the German team is on the right track despite some challenges,” he said, the appearance gives a tailwind for the next destinations “on the way to the Olympic Games in LA”. Getting the competition again within sight is a difficult undertaking once you have lost the connection. It was clear, said Bügner, “that the way back to the absolute top of the world in some disciplines is still long and demanding”.
The World Cup in Tokyo had started with three silver medals on the first four days: Long pringer Malaika Mihambo again presented herself as a reliable size, while Amanal Petros surprised in the marathon and hammer thrower Merlin Hummel was able to confirm his advance performance this season. In the fight with the top of the world there was also dampers to cope with. For javelin thrower Julian Weber, with the world anniversary of the world, it only worked with fifth place. And Yemisi Ogunleye, Germany’s only Olympic champion in Paris last year, had to be satisfied with sixth place this time. In her World Cup final on Saturday, she had seen how quickly the global bump world turns: Three athletes exceeded the 20-meter mark, while herself could no longer beat her 19.33 meters from the first attempt. After all: Ogunleye is only 26 years old. And age is definitely an issue with a view to the future.
:The Olympic victory follows six after a “crazy year”
Color broke your Yemisi Ogunleye cannot repeat your triumph from Paris and misses the podium at the World Cup. “I don’t have to hide,” she says, reports on an exciting year.
Because Mihambo and Weber have already exceeded the 30 mark, for the long-term future, the DLV is primarily concerned with what is happening in younger target groups. And there is already a few glimmer of hope: heptathlon Sandrina Sprengel, 21, made it in Tokyo with new best to fifth, hurdles Emil Agyekum, 26, as well as 1500-meter runner Robert Farken, 28, convinced with a sixth place in the final. And silver medalist Merlin Hummel is only 23 years old. However, Hummel did not lead to an encouraging German sports system, but his youth coach Martin Ständner. Others such as Neugebauer, Lückenkemper and Farken benefit primarily from their training systems in the USA and the mentality, which they acquired there.
And then there are the disciplines in which Germany is no longer represented at a World Cup, pole vault and javelin throw among women or shot puts among men. “We can get a little better there. We have to start again at the bottom that we are inspiring young people for our sport,” said Jörg Bügner. A difficult undertaking.
After all, the final appearance of the sprinters on Sunday made a welcome advertisement again. “It was a suction -horny team performance,” said Gina Lückenkemper, who had already won relay bronze in Eugene in 2022 and at the Olympics in Paris. Together with Sina Mayer, Rebekka Haase and Sophia Junk, she was able to assert herself against the competition in the rain of Tokyo after she had missed her big goal from the individual finale over 100 meters at the beginning of the World Championships. “German athletics continues to be on the track. German athletics is not dead,” said Lückenkemper with bronze around the neck. After the five medals from Tokyo, you could now see: the pulse is still available.
