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Historically bad zero medals two years ago at the World Cup in Budapest. Then four times precious metal at Olympia in Paris. Both do not really depict the performance of German athletics, says ARD expert Frank Busemann. But what does that mean for Tokyo?
Event one after zero. At the World Cup in Budapest two years ago, the medal yield was manageable. A gift for all enthusiasts of dyscalculia and fetish for the smallest number rooms. No precious metal was on the tableau at the end of the ten days. Fear spread. Are we in the end? Can Germany no longer good?
Of course, we are not allowed to ignore the nation rating that was also popular by the association. What about four to eight? Not that bad. What about the athletes in Budapest with the best performances and seasonal best? Excellent compared to the World Cup before. Eugene 2022 was weak. Despite two medals there, the performances were, well, as you say it diplomatically-more focused.
A lot came together in Paris
The development of Eugene to Budapest was already a huge jump in fourth to eight. And then Paris came. Four Olympic medals. Everything easy going. We are who! A lot came together. Trumps stitches, surprises surprised, the performance was right.
An outcry had gone through the country a year earlier. But I think neither Budapest nor Paris reproduce 100 percent the performance of German athletics. One too bad on paper, the other too well.
Shortage of skilled workers In other parts of the world
We agree on the middle. The 1980s and 1990s are over. The zeros were different. Athletics is global, it is large, it is lucrative. This has now penetrated to the last corner of the planet.
And it is universal. Running, jumping, throwing. Evolutionary survival techniques summarized in a sport. Athletics is easy at first. And therefore so sexy. Okay, nothing is easy in the high-end design and that is why there has been a shift in skilled workers in other parts of the world for years. Purchase of know-how and analysis of theory and practice. Also easier in the Internet age.
Kissed by the competition god
But where is German athletics now? I drive to Tokyo with a good feeling. I am happy. Rightly so, I think. We have some hot iron in the fire, medal aspirants who want to win and win.
Whether you do that then is dependent on the day. Sometimes you also need happiness and the lack of bad luck. In the high-end area we don’t talk about days and hours, we look at the hundredth part of a performance that decides between first and fourth place.
Athletes file to small things that do not exist in external perception and only decide on day X. Sometimes they make professional sports under amateurous conditions and knock everything into the balance that is available to them.
We have some athletes with us again, they are just good, really good, they still lack this one competition, this extra portion of luck, to step into the spotlight. Which cross four to eight in places, swallowed up from the medal mirror, but convincingly in performance and representation and kissed by the competition god.
80 DLV starter who burn for their passion
They also make a good team. Deliver the best performance at the highlight of the season. In the evening after the competition, fall to bed with satisfaction, nothing can accuse yourself and celebrate your own performance. That is also sport. Personality, passion and zeal. 100 percent.
And we will experience that in the next nine days of 80 athletes and almost as many coaches and staff with Germany on the jersey who burn for their passion. And they do that. Everyone. I promise it. (Otherwise you will get trouble. With me).