Gina Lückenkemper is all about the feeling of the perfect run. Because the way there is difficult in Germany on several levels, it invests a lot to train in the USA.
Gina Lückenkemper managed to surprise himself this year. After her indoor season ended early because she suffered a muscle injury to the IstAF in Düsseldorf, she was reminded in her preparation in the United States how quickly she can actually run. A race over 200 meters won Lückenkemper in 22.77 seconds, which was an extraordinary performance for them.
Immediately the 28-year-old wanted to share her feelings of happiness with her fans, she posted a story on “Instagram” in which she said under tears of joy: “The last time I stayed under 23 seconds was in 2016.” Nine years ago, the 200 meters were their parade discipline, at the time she won her first of a total of seven German championship titles on the route, won the European Championship bronze. Over 100 meters, she has completed her collection over the years and also won a World Cup and Olympic medal.
Lückenkemper: “I couldn’t find that in Germany”
The reason for this strength is exactly this training under top coach Lance Brauman in the USA. This is only possible because, in contrast to many of her colleagues, Lückenkemper is financially able to enable something like this. “I pay myself for my training. I invest my sponsorship money, nobody gives me that”she now told “Sportschau f – inspiring women from sport” in the podcast. “That is the reason why I could get medals for Germany.”
Gina Lückenkemper /Friederike Schürheck, Sportschau F – Inspirational Women from Sport, June 15, 2025 00:01 am
Because training at this level is inconceivable in your home country. “I can train there under one of the most successful coaches in my sport. And I’m part of an international training group, that’s something completely different. I couldn’t find that in Germany”said Lückenkemper. “It’s a shame because I am a very close -home person, I spend an incredible amount of time away from my family.”
German sprint star has both World Cup standards in their pocket
The reward for this is the medals or moments, such as the 22.77 seconds over 200 meters a few weeks ago. They have already given her the standard for the athletics World Cup in Tokyo (13th to 21st September), and she will also be able to start over 100 meters because she has already done exactly the World Cup standard over 100 meters of 11.07 seconds during her stay in the USA.
Lückenkemper came back to European soil at the Diamond League meeting in Oslo and left no bad impression at the Diamond League meeting in Oslo-although it was not entirely satisfied. “Overall, it was not a bad race, but I made a few mistakes that were in the end of the end”said Lückenkemper.
“It’s like a frenzy, just awesome”
It was apparently not one of the moments that gave her the intoxication that she wants to find out during her runs. “I already enjoy the speed very much. I am a person who likes the speed in all aspects of life. It still gives me a certain feeling of freedom. If you run technically correctly, it feels as incredibly easy. This is like a intoxication, just awesome”said Lückenkemper in the “Sportschau f” podcast.
Maybe she will feel it again on Sunday (June 15th, 2025) when the next big event is due for Germany’s fastest woman. In Stockholm it is also part of the Diamond League meetings – But over 200 meters. Lückenkemper has no longer been able to celebrate great successes about this distance since 2016 if it preserves its shape from the USA, but it could be her paradested route again.
Lückenkemper only allows feedback from a few people
Lückenkemper is aware that such moments also create expectations. After all, she has been the fastest woman in Germany for years, and if failures, she also gets a target of the critics from time to time. “It is very nice when other people have an expectation of me. But I am not interested in because I am only interested in the opinions of my closest circle in terms of my sporting performance”so Lückenkemper.
The expectations can also be understood as a wish that Germany can get in front of the sprint again. Lückenkemper is currently the only option for women. She regrets that far before the career is too little to ensure that children and adolescents get the chance to spark the fascination for their sport.
“It’s a shame that sports fields are often behind the castle and bar”
“Especially in a phase like during the Olympic Games, even if you also motivate many children and enthusiastic with the different disciplines and sports, it is sometimes not possible to say for the parents the next day: ‘Come on, we found it so cool yesterday, we drive to the sports field, run 100 meters and see how quickly we can run 100 meters”says Lückenkemper.
Because: “Often access to such sports is missing. Often it is not possible to try it out – not only in athletics, but also in many other sports. I think it’s a shame that sports fields are often behind the castle and bar. And on which you can experience a intoxication like Lückenkemper yourself.