Hartmann's string of painful sprinter disruptions.
Once more, a misstep, no glory: Joshua Hartmann continues his bizarre streak. The sprinter triggers a false start in the 200-meter championship at the European Athletics Competition. It's not the initial time he's gained attention due to his own errors.
Bent over with his legs, his head nearly touching the synthetic track, Joshua Hartmann adopts a distinct posture at the starting line of the 200-meter final at the European Athletics Championships in Rome. Seconds later, the mishap: The starting horn is called off, false start. Reflected on the scoreboard, it's evident in replays: Hartmann began excessively prematurely, prompting a false start.
Following a brief discussion with the authorities, a referee ventures onto the track and stands in front of Hartmann. Red card, disqualification, out of the possibility of an EM medal. A day after his 25th birthday, the crushing defeat. It's not the first instance Hartmann has failed moments before a triumph.
The scenes are similar. For the second time, the sprinter stoops with his head down during a television interview. "It's hard to describe what precisely transpired in the end. The truth is: I initiated a false start, therefore, was suitable for disqualification," expresses Hartmann on ZDF: "I'll take it like any other defeat that's thrust upon me and shall resurrect and be more powerful."
He has experienced defeats, many of them self-induced. At the World Championships the year before, he couldn't reach the final due to braking too early before the finish line. He knew that third place would be enough to qualify for the semi-finals. But then the runners bypassed him, one by one.
At his second chance at the championships in Budapest, Hartmann experienced a less than optimal performance. In the 4x100-meter relay, he and Lucas Ansah-Peprah botched the baton exchange in the heats, causing the team to fail to even reach the finish line. "I messed up and cleared too late. I'll take entire ownership. Of course...That's what transpired," Hartmann reflected later: "It's all on me. I must take accountability."
He was also involved in staff drama at the local EM 2022, where the transfer from Kevin Kranz to him broke down. Beforehand, he had become the first German since Jürgen Evers in 1986 to reach an EM final over 200 meters and concluded fifth.
Despite being skilled enough to set records, Hartmann fell short of the 20-second mark at the German Championships 2023. He had improved his PR to 20.02 seconds, breaking the 18-year-old record of Tobias Unger. However, there were also eye rolls, as the elusive 20-second hurdle could have been conquered if he hadn't already hoisted his left arm to celebrate before the finish line.
"Another unfortunate episode. What genuinely baffled the ZDF commentators: 'In what is possibly the most critical competition of his livelihood, he runs a false start, technically still rather ragged. Begins out of the blocks excessively early. An enormous setback,' said Marc Windgassen and Fabian Meseberg. The fact that Hartmann also had his fingers not in the corresponding location behind the line, but on it, surprised: 'That's something you learn as a ten-year-old in the juniors' division."
Rather than squaring off for a medal, Hartmann had to witness Timothé Mumenthaler sprint to the gold in 20.28 seconds. Silver went to Filippo Tortu (20.41/Italy), and bronze to William Reais (20.47), both of whom were also from Switzerland. With his season-best time of 20.36 seconds, Hartmann would have claimed silver. Alas, once more, he prevailed for something other than his performance.
