The 20th World Athletics Championships will start in Tokyo on Saturday (September 13th). The German team competes with an exciting mix of veterans and young savages and wants to make the Medal-Salto-Nullo from Budapest forgotten.
The DLV team did not need much animation to make a good mood for the obligatory group photo before the World Cup. In the lobby of the team hotel in the preparatory camp in Miyazaki, waving, cheers and cheered when a Japanese hotel employee took the opportunity to take a photo of the DLV-Troß in team strength. He didn’t really know what he happened to him with so much German enthusiasm, but then let himself be infected and cheered.
Bügner: “Motivated and colorful mixture”
“The team is right, the atmosphere is right, now the competitions can start,” said DLV sports director Jörg Bügner and raved about a “highly motivated, and above all injury-free colored mixture”.
However, it is crucial on the pitch and the general public is also a look at the medal mirror at the end of the nine competition days. Two years ago in Budapest, behind the black, red and gold flag was zero three times. The Salto Nullo ensured a historic DLV low.
This should not be repeated, even if Bügner prefers to circulate the topic of precious metal. “In terms of objectives with medals, I basically find it a bit difficult because we can only influence our performance, but do not know what the others are doing,” said the DLV sports director. The focus is on personal best in certain disciplines, in others on the placements within the field. If medals jump out at the end, “then we are happy”.
The prerequisites for a successful and one or the other podium place garnished World Cup are definitely good. “We prepared ourselves optimally and had a very good lead, with excellent results in the season. Now it is time to get that to the point,” said Bügner.
Mihambo, Weber and Neugebauer the largest Hopeful
Long jump queen Malaiko Mihambo, who returns to the place of her Olympic victory in 2021, javelin throwing dominator Julian Weber, this year with brilliant 91.51 m the clear number one in the world, or also in ten-fighter Leo Neugebauer, decorated in Paris with Olympic silver, are among the medal maintenance and lead a German team, which leads to an exciting mix offers from veterans and young wilds.
Hammer thrower Merlin Hummel (23 years) or other talents such as hurdles-ace OWE Fischer-porridge (21), Dreuner Caroline Joyeux (24), discus thrower Mika Sosna (22) or sprinter Johanna Martin (19) present herself confidently and determined. The World Cup stage does not let them freeze in awe.
“We are a new generation. I think Paris has shown that we are really able to get involved in the world. I hope and I am sure that we will collect some medals in Tokyo.”
Bitter memories of deserted ranks 2021
Four years ago, Tokyo was the largest of all sports stages, but unfortunately without a spectator. The Corona pandemic robbed the audience of the Olympic Games in Japan’s capital and thus also the atmosphere. At the opening ceremony, brave athletes waved into the deserted ranks of the nation stadium – it was not more bitter. “I am particularly pleased that this time you can jump in front of an audience,” emphasized Mihambo.
From Saturday, at least in the evening sessions, tens of thousands of athletics fans will provide goosebumps atmosphere in the Olympic Stadium. “We sold 50,000 tickets a evening, on a few days we have to improve something,” said Sebastian Coe, President of the World Athletics Association, in the Sportschau interview.
He is pleased that the stadium will be filled with loud, passionate and expert athletics fans, the Englishman said. “I hope that the loss of fans will make up for a little during the Olympic Games.”
And even if there is still no World Cup fever in the 14 million metropolis of Tokyo, Coe relies that “the dynamics, as with most world championships, will increase during the week”.
Stick-high vault overflower Armand “Mondo” Duplantis, who jumps in a reliable clocking in Tokyo, US sprint giant Noah Lyles, who is in Budapest with triple gold, is awarded the “Flying Femke Bol or her discipline wool Karsten, whose races over 400 m. Hurfishes are a Norwegian natural spectacle, their spectacular part will contribute to the 20th World Athletics World Championships.
And not least but not least, the DLV team in Miyazaki was able to convince themselves of the sports mood that was carried away by the sports mood.