Three silver after four competition days, from the German perspective, this is impressive with this atmospheric athletic World Cup in Tokyo. The DLV knows that not everything is gold yet. But the direction is true after the debacle of Budapest.
“The German locomotive is on the move and I hope that we can take more speed to deliver a very good result in the end,” said DLV sports director Jörg Bügner in the Sportschau interview. Measured on the medals, the German athletes delivered more after four competition days than the two world championships.
In Eugene 2022 there were two (gold by long jumper Malaika Mihambo and bronze through the 4×100 meter relay of women), in Budapest 2023 the “Worst Case” entered and the DLV went completely empty.
DLV sports director Bügner: “Cut a good figure here”
“I think we are gone from the Budapest curse. We mostly achieved good results and cut a good figure here,” Bügner was now able to state in Japan’s capital.
I am confident about the first few days. The spirit is here and it has been a good start. So it is welcome to go on.
Mihambo, Petros and Hummel fetch precious metal
The German silver rain in the humid heat from Tokyo is indeed seen. World -class Weitunter Malaika Mihambo once again showed that she can cope with all conditions – world -class. With the photo finish decision in the marathon, Amanal Petros made a historical goosebumps. And Merlin Hummel mixed in the concert of the big hammer thrower at the age of 23.
Mihambo with her last monster attempt in the final (invalid) and Petros, who might have looked around too much once or twice, even sniffed gold, “but you always have to be modest,” said Bügner.
“Some things have not worked”
The DLV has twelve final qualifications after four competition days, but nevertheless it is not “everything that shines,” said the DLV sports director. “We know that we are not yet in the extended or absolute top of the world in certain disciplines. Some things have not worked, we have to analyze that.”
Bügner had also mentioned personal or seasonal best as a valuation criterion for this World Cup. So far, there have not been too many of them in the German camp.
The discus launchers Marike Steinacker and Kristin Pudenz, for example, were far below their possibilities and were eliminated in qualifications. “This is my whole life right now and then you encounter the moment it matters,” Steinacker struggled.
Bebendorf: “Unfortunately I failed”
Obstacle runner Karl Bebendorf was deeply disappointed after the missed final: “Unfortunately, I failed.” Very hard words of the German master, but a sporty setback in the DLV overall picture that Geher wanted to enrich Christopher Linke with a medal. With the second best season over 35 kilometers, the Potsdamer (“was afraid that I was completely over”) on the climatic “horror” conditions and was only 14.
All eyes on Weber and Neugebauer
Five competition days are still in front of the German team. The DLV still has some hot iron in the precious metal fire in spear thrower Julian Weber, decathlon Leo Neugebauer or the 4×100 meter relay of women.
“Weber and Neugebauer are set as a medal candidate. Whether they will implement this afterwards will be opened, but the chances are exceptionally good,” said ARD Athletics expert Frank Busemann. “If we really went home here with four or five medals, that would also be a finger towards the future.”
That is already to be said. The DLV team has left behind the Eugene and Budapest past. The DLV view goes forward, or how Bügner would express: the German locomotive is driving better athletics times.