Olympic Games - After corona infection: Mihambo cancels championships
Olympic champion Malaika Mihambo has to give up on the German Athletics Championships. Seven weeks before her start at the Olympics in Paris, the 30-year-old cannot defend her titles at the competitions from Friday to Sunday in Braunschweig due to a Corona infection.
She is currently not fit enough health-wise to compete in a race, "I cannot start in a competition yet," Mihambo said in a statement on Wednesday. "I started training lightly again yesterday and I am very optimistic that I will soon be able to fully recover my potential again." Before Mihambo, 2022 European champion Konstanze Klosterhalfen had already withdrawn her start in Braunschweig.
Mihambo and Neugebauer as greatest hopes
Two-time world long jump champion Mihambo, along with decathlete Leo Neugebauer, who set another German record this month, are the greatest gold hopes for Germany's athletes at the Olympics in Paris. "The championships in Braunschweig come too early for a start," Mihambo's coach Ulli Knapp said in a statement from the association on Wednesday.
Warning for the Summer Games
Sports director Jörg Bügner had spoken of Corona cases in the team a few days ago without naming names. One must ensure that the athletes are completely recovered and pay attention to the fact that the infections do not spread further, he said.
Mihambo finished first at the European Championships in Rome two weeks ago with the world's best performance of 7.22 meters and won the gold medal. A year ago, the athlete from LG Kurpfalz was in title race misfortune, as she injured herself at the national championships. After that, she had to withdraw from the medal-less World Championships for the German Athletics Federation.
Last chance for the Olympic ticket
The German Championships take place from Friday to Sunday in Braunschweig. It is the last chance for DLV athletes to qualify for an Olympic nomination. Mihambo, who finished second at the European Championships 2022 after a Corona infection, has already secured her ticket. Klosterhalfen will likely have to miss the Olympics as a result.
Athlete portraits Info DM Timeplan DM
- Despite her recent Coronavirus infection, Olympic champion Malaika Mihambo, a native of Baden-Württemberg, will not be able to defend her titles at the German Athletics Championships in Braunschweig, scheduled for this Friday to Sunday.
- Seven weeks before the Olympic Games in Paris, Mihambo, who finished first at the European Championships in Rome with a world-leading performance of 7.22 meters, is currently not fit enough health-wise to compete in a race.
- In a statement on Wednesday, Mihambo expressed her optimism that she would soon fully recover her potential again, having started training lightly the previous day.
- Earlier, 2022 European champion Konstanze Klosterhalfen, also from Germany, had already withdrawn her start in Braunschweig due to reasons undisclosed.
- Along with decathlete Leo Neugebauer, who set a new German record this month, Mihambo and Klosterhalfen were Germany's greatest gold hopes for the Olympics in Paris.
- In a statement from the association on Wednesday, Mihambo's coach Ulli Knapp confirmed that the championships in Braunschweig come too early for Mihambo's start.
- Sports director Jörg Bügner had warned of Corona cases in the team a few days ago without naming names, emphasizing the importance of ensuring that athletes are completely recovered and preventing the infections from spreading further.
- The German Championships in Braunschweig serve as the last chance for DLV athletes to qualify for an Olympic nomination. Mihambo, who finished second at the European Championships 2022 after a Corona infection, has already secured her ticket, while Klosterhalfen's participation may be compromised due to her withdrawal.
