Gina Lückenkemper’s dream of the World Cup final over 100 m has burst. A disappointment for the double European champion, who is looking ahead – and complained about the starter in Budapest.
Gina Lückenkemper didn’t let her frustration show, almost soberly she went through the sum of problems that had shattered her big dream of the World Cup. After a strong season, she delivered the two slowest races of the year at the climax of all times. The day before, 11.21 seconds was enough to advance, but in the semi-finals on Monday (08/21/2023) it was over with 11.18 seconds.
“It was definitely a different World Cup than I had planned,” admitted the European champion. “I just couldn’t get it on track here.” The start was successful, but “at the back, where I actually have my strengths, it wasn’t good”.
“crazy long in the ready position”
Some things didn’t fit together for the Berliner. Problems in the lower back, which had occurred in the pre-run, would have been fewer, but they would have been handicapped in the final phase of the race. “That didn’t leave me alone. Then I lost my hip at the back, that’s bullshit,” she said. She got out of the blocks well, but wasn’t aggressive enough, and Germany’s flagship sprinter, who is coached by US star trainer Lance Brauman, also struggled with the starter.
“The races here were anything but easy. That’s actually obvious at a World Championships. But I’ve never seen the athletes wait so insanely long in the ready position, as is the case here.” , the 26-year-old complained. The day before it was “particularly mean”. The athletes practically burned their fingers on the track because they had to wait so long.
This position is anything but made for hanging out in there forever. It’s really uncomfortable and we’re primed to flick out of there and let it go.
Season planning apparently not ideal
Possibly, as Germany’s sportswoman of the year suspected, the season planning was not ideal. “It was an extremely long season for me, I started the indoor season in February. Maybe next year we’ll have to see that we slow it down a bit and do a few races less, because the races so far have all been of very good quality high quality,” said the German number one, who had already been eliminated in the World Cup semi-finals in 2017, 2019 and 2022. In the run-up to the title fights in Hungary, the 26-year-old had declared her main goal to be in the final.
Sha’Carri Richardson the new sprint queen
However, Lückenkemper had already seemed extremely tense when she was introduced immediately before the start of the race. In a direct duel with series world champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce from Jamaica, who this time had to settle for bronze behind her compatriot Shericka Jackson and the new sprint queen Sha’Carri Richardson from the USA, Lückenkemper only ran on track two fifth place finish.
The hope of qualifying as one of the two fastest drivers was dashed immediately. She was 17 hundredths short of being the first German athlete since Melanie Paschke in 1997 to be back in a 100m World Cup final.
“Now more than ever” in the season
The 26-year-old doesn’t want to quarrel too much with the disappointment. “I’ve already ticked that off, it’s just a championship for that. We have to look straight ahead,” said Lückenkemper shortly after her race.
The focus of the double European champion is now on the sprint relay, on Friday (25.08.2023, 8 p.m.) the heats are scheduled. “After the individual went like this, for me it’s ‘now more than ever’ in the season,” she emphasized. However, last year’s successful quartet has to do without the two regulars Lisa Mayer and Alexandra Burghardt Mayer in Budapest due to injury.