Despite a free starting place, the Düsseldorf marathon runner Hendrik Pfeiffer will not be part of the Championships in the Equity and doubts the sporting and moral competence of the German Athletics Association (DLV).
The big dream at the World Athletics Championships (13th to 21st September) in Tokyo seemed to be more close to the runner Hendrik Pfeiffer at the end of May. With the cancellation of the two top runners Sebastian Hendel and Samuel Fitwi, a starting place suddenly becomes free. “The anticipation was great, but only for a few hours,” says Pfeiffer in his Instagram post.
DLV leaves a starting place – without justification
Because that with which he and many of his colleagues count on does not occur. Pfeiffer is not nominated by the association for the World Cup in September. “Unfortunately, I did the bill without the DLV. The hurdle to qualify internationally for the World Cup seems to be much easier than having your own association on his side.” With Amanal Petros and Richard Ringer, the association leaves it with its two starters.
Even though Pfeiffer had already qualified for the World Cup in early 2024 about placement in the World Ranking. It was only in December 2024 that the association retrospectively stated an internal standard of 2:07:50 hours, which should have been provided between September 2024 and May 2025. Pfeiffer’s personal best (2:07:14 hours) from January 2024 “Unfortunately, the DLV does not count.”
Pfeiffer goes into another objective in Berlin marathon
However, various qualification runs had already taken place at the time the standard was announced. So also the Berlin Marathon in September. Pfeiffer ended the run with a time of 2:08:20 hours – in the ignorance of an internal standard. “My goals were completely different at the time,” says the 32-year-old, who has been running for the Düsseldorf Athletics since 2025.
I have learned a lot about how official ticks, especially the board member Jörg Bügner.
If Pfeiffer had already known about the internal standard in September, he would have tackled the race under different conditions. “The question arises as to whether this is fair and legally justifiable. Incidentally, I have this checked legally.”
DLV board member Jörg Bügner
In his public statement, Pfeiffer primarily attacks DLV board member Jörg Bügner: “I have learned a lot again about how officials tick, in particular the board member Jörg Bügner, who in this case has shown anything but appropriate management behavior. plays. “
National coach Fromm “changes the course”
And Pfeiffer is also disappointed with his national coach Alexander Fromm. After the Fitwi and Hendel cancellation, Fromm had “guaranteed that he will be behind my World Cup fully.” After an exchange between Fromm and Bügner, the national coach Pfeiffer said in writing not to support nomination. “Hoppla”, Pfeiffer reacts in his video message: “I don’t want to say that someone has been put under pressure, but I find this change of course remarkable.”
A request for a conversation has not yet been met by Bügner: “In the meantime, I ask myself whether Jörg Bügner is afraid of the exchange with his own athletes or whether it is just a lack of interest.”
DLV published Press release
The association reported a day after Pfeiffer’s statement with an official press release, in which Pfeiffer’s name never appears. The association writes that it is obliged to apply the guidelines fairly and across discipline. “We have a lot of understanding that athletes are disappointed if they are not nominated and not all starting places are given in the end,” Bügner is quoted. Bügner does not give an exact reason why not all starting places are awarded.
Rather, the association explains the free space by the fact that other German runners with fulfilled nomination requirements would do without the World Cup and would therefore not be available. “Do I have to have the feeling that someone here wants to make fun of me?” Asks Pfeiffer, who accuses the association a lack of leadership competence and sporting expertise. “Am I an athlete that was too much uncomfortable? Keyword Olympia.” Already last summer there was an argument with the association and its teammates.
Backing of Lückenkemper and wrestlers
Sprinter Gina Lückenkemper
This time the Düsseldorfer receives confirmation without exception from numerous athletes. “You really lack the words … a bandage should always be there for the athletes. Because no association without athletes,” reacted sprinter Gina Lückenkemper. Pfeiffer’s teammate Richard Ringer, who is launched at the World Cup at the royal discipline, also shows a lack of understanding. “It is a shame that other athletes do not accept their nomination and the DLV then even does not take its better -placed athletes.”
The reaction from the former marathon runner Sonja Oberem shows that Pfeiffer’s expansion does not seem to be an individual case: “History is also repeated in 2004,” writes the 52-year-old: “Leaving a place, although there is a qualified athlete. There is no reason for this. Athletes concerns. “
Our sources:
- Insagram post by Hendrik Pfeiffer
- Press release DLV
