After the German track and field athletes’ unprecedented zero number at the World Championships, Julian Weber made a promise for the Olympic season.
“The javelin throw will come back next year, and then we’ll all be back at the start – then the javelin throw will win the medals again,” said the 28-year-old, who finished fourth in Budapest and was the best German starter at the World Athletics Championships. In the end, however, he also missed out on the medal he had hoped for.
Athletics: hope lay on Weber
A year before the Olympic Games in Paris, the German Athletics Association in the Hungarian capital performed even worse than a year earlier in the USA, when despite all the disappointments there were still medals: gold by the long jump Olympic champion who was missing in Budapest after a muscle fiber tear Malaika Mihambo and bronze through the sprint relay team around double European champion Gina Lückenkemper, which was weakened this time. And this time? This time, in the end, all hope lay with Weber to prevent the complete medal failure.
Of course, this topic was also discussed in many conversations, the Mainzer reported from the team quarters, where many athletes from other nations also lived. “But I wouldn’t say it was because of that, but of course it may have played a bit subconsciously.”
Weber’s best attempt was enough for 85.79 meters. The title went to Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra of India, whose javelin landed at 88.17 meters. He won ahead of Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan, who threw 87.82 meters. Olympic silver medalist Jakub Vadlejch from the Czech Republic took bronze with 86.67 meters.
Julian Weber wants to train hard
He tried different things, used different javelins, and the version “by force” wasn’t successful either. , said the European champion, who was repeatedly fourth.
He will also practice different positions on the run-up when throwing, because he didn’t like the location of the line in the Budapest stadium – well away from the pitch. That was “horror” for him, said Weber.
In the Olympic and European Championship season, for example, the ex-world champion Johannes Vetter or Andreas Hofmann, who are missing this time after suffering shoulder problems, should intervene again after a cruciate ligament tear. “Of course it would be nice if the others were there. It’s always a bit different feeling,” said Weber.