Complete emptiness, absolute sadness and disappointment: after missing the Olympic qualification, the German gymnasts were devastated. But quitting is not an option for the injured Elisabeth Seitz.
Sarah Voss collapsed, was shaken by crying fits and had to be comforted by her family – just like the rest of the German gymnasts after missing the Olympic qualification. Here is their first conclusion:
Sarah Voss: Hard to cope with
“It’s so bitter. We gave everything and can’t blame ourselves for anything. The only thing that makes it seem so tangible and yet so far away is that it was so close that we’re not two tenths behind South Korea. Also The Canadians weren’t in top form, they were only a tenth ahead of us, but they’re just about there. That’s a real shame. Everything’s just hitting you: how difficult it was for us, how much everyone gave, even for the sake of it Emma (Malewski, editor’s note) and Eli (Seitz, editor’s note) to continue making this dream possible. The fact that it fails because of so little is much harder to cope with than if it had been clearer.”
Even the chance of a personal Olympic ticket thanks to her strong performance on the floor couldn’t console Voss: “The sadness prevails that we don’t have a team place, i.e. we don’t have five places. I’ll have to sleep on it for one night.”
Seitz: The team put in an incredible performance
The Olympic exit is particularly bitter for the injured Elisabeth Seitz, who was unable to compete in Antwerp because of her torn Achilles tendon. “The whole day was super exciting, especially the girls’ competition. I have to say, they put on an amazing performance. They did everything they could. They did everything they could. They don’t have any bigger ones Mistakes were made, even if they were small ones, but nothing that could be faulted. It was a great competition. In the end, we were one and a half tenths short of qualifying – that’s extremely hard.”
Seitz: My body didn’t cooperate
Before her injury, the 29-year-old prepared for all four individual apparatus, but was then condemned to watch in Antwerp. “It’s not nice to be so helpless. I could have helped. I gave everything in advance. I tried to be fit on all four machines. But unfortunately my body couldn’t handle it. Now, looking back, I can Of course, if I say it myself, I might have been better off using only two devices. But I knew that I could best help with four devices and I was also fit on four devices. The injury wasn’t foreseeable. But it’s really difficult right now.”
Olympic quota place for Elisabeth Seitz?
Due to the 13th World Cup place for the German Gymnastics Federation (DTB) team, there is a German quota place at the Olympics. Assuming a quick recovery, this ticket could go to the currently injured German record champion Elisabeth Seitz from Stuttgart.
Seitz: Giving up is not an option
Despite her huge disappointment, one thing is crystal clear for Elisabeth Seitz: “For me it’s still not an option to say I’m quitting. That doesn’t exist. I’ll stay true to myself. I said I’ll fight until Paris is or until everything is clear, whether I can still come along somehow. I won’t stop before that.”
