Bo Kanda Lita Baehre and Torben Blech shared the championship title in pole vault, but were not satisfied. The EM in Apeldoorn should go significantly higher.
Bo Kanda Lita Baehre used the word “sobering”which actually does not reflect what the scoreboard testified. The 25 -year -old had previously won the championship title in the pole vault, so that he is currently the best German in his discipline – together with Torben Blech, but none is better.
When the decision was made, both athletes did not hide their feelings, the body language said far from the words that they were not satisfied with what they had done. 5.72 meters were enough for the victory, both of them did not make 5.82 meters, and so they had to go up to the podium together.
Competition at the Hallen European Championship does not allow any errors
It was a performance that could worry about the Hallen European Championship in Apeldoorn in two weeks (March 6th to 9th) – but with a few minutes distance, both sheet metal and Lita Baehre made it clear to them that they have been participated will not be enough in the Netherlands. “Championships are about titles, even if I know that I can jump higher, I showed that”Blech therefore defied his own disappointment after the title division.
And he has to show it again. Exceptional jumper Armand Duplantis does not participate and thus clears the gold medal. “The width in Europe is still extremely good, we have eight, nine people who can jump 5.80 meters”said Blech: “I think you have to jump 5.90 meters to win a medal – but the potential for 5.90 plus is definitely there for me and Bo, that is out of the question. But the jumps have to come perfectly.”
Lita Baehre struggles primarily with his attempt, which ensures that he did not jump higher this season than the 5.72 meters who made him German champion. “This is the biggest shortcoming. I have to concentrate to reproduce my start regularly”said the 25-year-old: “I know the little things that I do wrong – and they are punished directly at larger heights.”
Return to 5.90 meters at Lita Baehre “A matter of time”
And they would prevent Lita Baehre from intervene in the fight for the front places at the European Championship. He is also convinced that 5.90 meters is the sound barrier that you have to cope with for a medal. “I’ve already jumped, so it is in me”said Lita Baehre: “It’s just a matter of time – but I will not force it because it doesn’t work. I have to concentrate on the things that are in my hand, and that is more consistency in the start.”
Lita Baehre has set itself the goal of again this season “Mix in front”after he had been slowed down by an injury last year when he had achieved his top performance – the 5.90 meters. “I have to work myself step by step. The height at the German Championships is sobering, but you have to see it in the long term“, he said.
Tin: “On day X it just has to fit”
But Lita Baehre and Blech even encourage themselves at short notice, despite the strong competition (in addition to sheet metal and apart from Duplanis, nine other Europeans are already 5.80 meters or more this season) to jump medals.
“Everything is possible from place to eight. If everything fits with us, we can jump ten, 15, maybe 20 centimeters higher. On day X it just has to fit”said Blech. The height at the German Championships was a kink, but it does not prevent the German pole jumpers from speaking in plain text when it comes to EM ambitions.