Leipzig (AP) – This title should not be the last for Malaika Mihambo in an intensive athletics year. For the Olympic long jump champion, winning gold at the German Indoor Championships in Leipzig was a welcome start to a long outdoor season with World and European Championships.
While Mihambo ended her indoor season after her jump to 6.81 meters, shot putter Christina Schwanitz surprisingly came to an end. Unlike Mihambo, who will no longer travel to the World Indoor Championships, Schwanitz would have liked to have been in Belgrade in three weeks, but third place was not enough – so, contrary to what was initially announced, she resigned on Saturday and is at the World Championships in Eugene in the USA and the home European Championship in Munich.
There Mihambo is the greatest German hope. “It was a good competition,” said the 28-year-old from LG Kurpfalz a week after the world annual best of 6.96 meters in Düsseldorf. Her trainer told her that there hadn’t been such a large winning distance at a German indoor championship for 25 years. “It’s a German championship, so I take it very seriously and I’m happy about every title,” emphasized Mihambo on ARD. The sportswoman of the year sailed to victory in the second attempt.
Schwanitz breaks up
After her last attempt, Schwanitz caused general amazement when she stated: “Today was my last competition here.” The season best of 18.49 meters was only enough for the best German shot putter of the past decade to place third behind Sara Gambetta from Halle, who came eighth at the Olympics, who won with a personal best of 19.05 meters, and Katharina Maisch. Schwanitz’ teammate from the LV 90 Erzgebirge came to 18.54 meters and snatched the world championship place away from the 2015 world champion.
As usual, Germany’s Sportswoman of the Year 2015 made it clear – and perhaps a little too martially – that “I have to clear the way, that I’m no longer capable enough to defend our country in this way”. On the other hand, the mother of twins is an emotional person, and so the tears fell in front of the 1600 spectators. “Of course I’m still a bit overwhelmed with my feelings,” admitted the Saxon after a lap of honor.
After 25 years of sport, 18 of them as a competitive athlete, she is extremely proud of eleven medals in the past eight years. These include a complete set at world championships, two gold medals at European Championships and silver at World Championships indoors. Only with an Olympic medal did it not work out in four attempts. “Everything is finite,” said Schwanitz and now wants to motivate other people to do sports in the Bundeswehr during training. DLV President Jürgen Kessing hopes that it will remain in German athletics in the future.
Another mom reported back in Leipzig after her baby break with a title. Cindy Roleder won the 60-meter hurdles in 8.13 seconds by a razor-thin margin. “I’m super happy to be back and to be competitive,” said 32-year-old Roleder four years after her last German indoor triumph. In the men’s category, Owen Ansah from Hamburg was just 13 hundredths of a second short of the German indoor record over 200 meters in 20.55 seconds.