After missing her seventh title over 100 meters, sprinter Gina Lückenkemper was understandably disappointed — and she delivered an emotional explanation for her performance.
Tick Bite Halts European Champion
“Four weeks ago, I was bitten by a tick on the back of my head,” said the 29-year-old during an interview with ZDF. “As a result, I had two weeks of training loss.”
The 2022 European Champion appeared visibly emotional: “I had to take antibiotics; that pesky tick really messed with my nervous system.”
Lückenkemper Loses Balance and Title
The consequences were clear in her performance: “You could see it during the start position; I was wobbling my head,” Lückenkemper explained. “That was because my balance system wasn’t working properly. My systems kept failing.”
Previously, Lückenkemper had been the German champion for four consecutive times. In Bochum, she ended up in third place with a time of 11.29 seconds, falling behind Jolina Ernst, daughter of former top sprinter Melanie Paschke, and Emma Goretzka, both clocking in at 11.26 seconds.
