The Geher Christopher Linke has not been able to fulfill his dream of a medal at the start of the World Athletics World Cup in Tokyo. In the competition over 35 kilometers, the 36-year-old from SC Potsdam made the extreme climatic conditions difficult. In the end, he finished 14th.
The main problem in the early Saturday morning of the first day of the competition was not so much the temperatures around 25 degrees, but the high humidity by 85 percent. The trainer and supervisor team tried to ensure the cooling of the body of the body at the supply stations, with water and ice cubes. “I’m overheated, I just need water,” said Linke to the supervisors at a stop after about 25 kilometers. The body temperature of the left rose to 39.5 degrees during the race – and thus significantly too high. “Sweating no longer brings the body cooling in these conditions,” said team doctor Enrico Zessin at Sportschau.
“The last kilometers were the absolute horror”
The 36-year-old left, who had finished fifth at the World Cup in Budapest two years ago, could not intervene this time because of the physical problems this time in the fight for a top tean placement: Linke was completely invalidated by almost eight minutes from world champion Evan Dunfee from Canada (2:28:22 hours) after 2:36:10 hours. “I had very big goals today, I really wanted a medal,” said Linke in the Sportschau interview. “Maybe I was too brave, maybe a little stupid. I wanted to be rewarded for my courage, but the last ten to twelve kilometers were the absolute horror.” Silver went in front of an enthusiastic audience on the route to the Brazilian Caio Bonfim (2:28:55), Bronze won Hayato Katsuki from Japan (2:29:16).
Hilbert and Frenzl in 16th and 17th place
The other two German Gehers Jonathan Hilbert (LG Ohra Energie) and Johannes Frenzl (Eintracht Frankfurt) brave: Hilbert, who won silver on the 50-kilometer route at the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2021, was 16. (2:36:47). He also described the climatic conditions as “abnormal”. The heat training that the DLV trio had completed in advance was against the real conditions “kindergarten”. The 23-year-old Frenzl finished 17th with his DLV teammate at his World Cup premiere at the finish line-and was therefore very satisfied: “I did not expect that.”
Spaniard Maria Pérez successfully defended her title from Budapest for women. She won with a time of 2:39:01 hours. Antonella Palmisano from Italy (2:42:24) secured the silver medal in front of Ecuadorian Paula Milena Torres (2:42:44).
Left has to be torn down after a good start
After the start in the nation stadium at 7.30 a.m. local time, the 50 walkers and 47 walkers soon went out on the route into the city. On the Gingko Tree Lane it was important to cope with a two-kilometer circuit 16 times. At the beginning, the field remained close together. Left made sure to never make Japanese Hayato Katsuki and Kawano too big. After about ten kilometers, this trio then settled somewhat from the competition, but the lead was never more than eight seconds.
The Canadian Geher Evan Dunfee is the first world champion in Tokyo.
The fact that leftists could not keep up with the best dignity on this day was shown almost 20 minutes later: While Katsuki and Kawano, together with David Hurtafo from Ecuador, made a speed of the German before reaching the 20-kilometer mark. In the second half of the race, the Japanese Katsuki and Kawano also had to pay tribute to the high initial pace and the hard conditions. Dunfee, Fourth in Budapest two years ago, took the lead about five kilometers before the end and defended them to the finish.