Track and field events. - Winning in sports: Krause content with European Championship silver following mix-up
Following a night of high tension in Rome, Gesa Felicitas Krause ends up with a silver medal at the European Championships. The triumph over the regulations also cheers up the German hurdler. "It was an emotional rollercoaster for me. I'm content with the way it turned out and that fair play prevailed," said Krause.
The persistent debate over her potential third title took the spotlight away from her remarkable performance, in which the French winner Alice Finot was initially disqualified by a judge for leaving the track. The French protest against this decision was ultimately successful, so the original outcome remained the same. The postponed celebration ceremony was also scheduled for Monday evening.
"I came in second place and deserved the gold," stressed Krause in a statement from the German Athletics Association. Finot won the 3000-meter hurdles in 9:16.22 minutes. Krause finished in 9:18.06 minutes as the runner-up and obtained her sixth international medal.
Thrilled with Silver
"I aimed for a medal here. I'm thrilled with the silver," reiterated the 31-year-old, who had resumed her career after her maternity leave and brandished the German flag straight after the race. She was unaware of what was happening behind the scenes at that moment.
German sports director Jörg Bügner presented evidence of a potential rule infraction. These were considered, and a request for video evidence was made to the European Athletics Federation.
"We didn't reach the review, as a referee had previously checked the situation and disqualified the Frenchwoman for crossing onto the inner lane multiple times. The French team then lodged a complaint. The jury then sided with the French team," detailed Bügner. The German Athletics Association itself didn't submit a complaint.
Victory Over Rules
Right before midnight, Finot returned as the winner in the official results, outpacing Krause with her speedy final lap. "I knew how fast she could go on the last lap. She had the advantage," said Krause, who is now setting her sights on the Olympic Games in Paris, only a few weeks away, where the former bronze medalist wants to be even quicker. For that, she must be one of the front-runners.
The same goes for European champion Finot, who seemed to have no distinct benefit from crossing the white lane boundary after the water jump. "We need rules in sports, and they must be enforced and adhered to, but sometimes we must acknowledge in the spirit of sports when someone is better," commented former decathlete and ARD expert Frank Busemann on the bewildering nighttime events and was content with the conclusion: "Gold for France, silver for Gesa Krause. That's a good outcome. Thank you, sports."
