The World Championships in Glasgow at the beginning of March mark the end of the indoor athletics season, but not necessarily its highlight. The German sports director explains the reasons why top star Malaika Mihambo, among others, is skipping the World Indoor Championships.
The upcoming World Indoor Championships are of secondary importance for the German Athletics Association for reasons of promoting sport. Sports director Jörg Bügner emphasized this after the national indoor title fights in Leipzig at the weekend.
“We will only be measured by the Olympic Games this year, even the European Championships are of secondary importance,” explained Bügner, referring to the award criteria.
The future distribution of federal funding will depend on Germany’s performance at the highlight of the season, which is the Olympics in Paris. The European Championships will take place in Rome at the beginning of June, where, unlike last summer, there will probably be German medals again at the World Championships in Budapest.
Athletics: Mihambo and Co. are skipping the 2024 World Indoor Championships
Only a small German team will travel to the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow from March 1st to 3rd, which the association is expected to announce this Thursday. The number of athletes may not even be in double figures.
Olympic long jump champion Malaika Mihambo, among others, will not be there. She is concentrating on the outdoor season after the Istaf Indoor this Friday.
The World Indoor Championships are also of secondary importance for the sprinters; for them, the relay competitions on May 4th and 5th in the Bahamas count. It’s all about qualifying for the Olympics.
Bügner said about the sporting value of the World Cup: “Glasgow is of secondary importance to me because for some it will not play a role in the long-term development. This is not a Germany-specific problem.” Many nations would not bring their senior teams to Scotland.