The German women’s relay reached the final over 4×100 m at the World Championships in Athletics with the fourth best time overall. Peru’s Kimberly Garcia Leon also won the 35K premiere. Pole vaulter Torben Blech disappointed. That’s how the eighth day of competition went in Eugene.
4×100 m relay women: Lückenkemper and Co. in the final
Tatjana Pinto, Alexandra Burghardt, Gina Lückenkemper and Rebekka Haase ran confidently into the final at Hayward Field – as third in their heat in 42.44 seconds. With the same cast but in a different order, the DLV quartet took fifth place at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. “I enjoy the curve,” said Lückenkemper, who had reached the semi-finals in the individual, in the sports show. “Let’s see what’s going on in the final.” Last runner Haase gave the route: “Now it’s full throttle.”
The US relay set the best time at 41.56 seconds, ahead of Great Britain (41.99) and Jamaica (42.37), although not yet their top runners Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Shericka Jackson and Elaine Thompson-Herah had in use. The finale will take place on Sunday (4.30 a.m. CEST).
35 km walk women: Second gold for Peruvian
In 2:39:16 hours, Kimberly Garcia Leon completed the second title win with a clear lead. At the first World Cup decision in Eugene, the Peruvian had won her country’s first track and field medal. “I’ve always dreamed of making history in a sport that I’ve been passionate about since I was five,” said Garcia Leon.
Also historical: As in the 20 km, Katarzyna Zdzieblo from Poland (2:40:03) and the Chinese Olympic champion from 2012, Shijie Qieyang (2:40:37), also won silver and bronze again. This has never happened before at the World Walking Championships in Athletics.
After the abolition of the 50 km route, the race over 35 km represented a World Championship premiere. A German walker did not start on the one-kilometer circuit in Eugene – over 20 km Saskia Feige from Leipzig finished 15th came.
Pole vault qualification men: sheet metal with “Salto nullo”
Torben Blech wrote the next chapter in the series of German disappointments. The man from Leverkusen failed in qualifying because of the entry height of 5.30 m with a “salto nullo”.
Four finals are pending
On the third to last day of the World Cup, there are four more finals in Eugene. In the women’s javelin throw (3.20 a.m. CEST/live in the first and on sportschau.de), there is also a German athlete, Annika Marie Fuchs from SC Potsdam. She goes into the competition with a personal best of 63.68 m and a season best of 61.06 m. Gold is also at stake over 400 m for women (4:15 a.m. CEST) and men (4:35 a.m. CEST) and over 400 m hurdles for women (4:50 a.m. CEST).