After the German women’s team was eliminated from the Olympics, at least Pauline Schäfer-Betz was guaranteed a starting place at the 2024 Summer Games in Paris. Two more will probably be added for the DTB gymnasts.
The frustration over the team being eliminated from the Olympic Games in Paris is still great. The shock after the failed team qualification at the World Cup in Antwerp was too severe. After 20 years, the Olympic Games will take place for the first time without a German women’s gymnastics team.
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A glimmer of hope is at least the prospect of three individual Olympic tickets for German gymnasts.
Schäfer-Betz has a secure starting place, quota place for DTB
One of these tickets has already been taken: Pauline Schäfer-Betz has guaranteed a starting place at the 2024 Summer Games. The native of Saarland earned this right to participate by finishing 20th in the all-around qualification at the Sportpaleis in Antwerp. Because the German Gymnastics Federation team reached 13th place, there was an additional German quota place for Paris. This is not personalized and will probably depend on the athletes’ performance level in early summer 2024. A third Olympic start opportunity could be added for a German equipment specialist. It will most likely be Sarah Voss. However, this depends on further World Cup decisions in the coming days. The world association FIG will probably only announce the decision after the apparatus finals this weekend.
Seitz’s chance of Paris is still intact
Despite her Achilles tendon rupture, Elisabeth Seitz traveled to Belgium to support the team. For the German record champion, the quota place would be the chance to take part in the games in Paris despite her injury – assuming she recovers quickly. But the Stuttgart woman is not the only candidate for this quota place, but is competing with Emma Malewski, who is also injured. Last year’s European balance beam champion also still has hopes for the Olympics after tearing her syndesmotic ligament. For both of them it will be a race against time in the competition for the only available starting place. “I will now have to fight for the unnamed spot. At the moment it is a very bitter pill that I still have to digest,” explained Seitz, European uneven bars champion in 2022, to the Sportschau.
