Constantine Monastery Halfen grapples with poor form and unrest.
The European Championship victor from two years ago, Konstanze Klosterhalfen, is not yet in prime condition. Instead of participating in a Diamond League competition, she's opting for a training camp. As a defending champion, she's anticipated to compete in the European Championships, but she's not yet at peak performance and seeks improvement.
Klosterhalfen won't participate in this weekend's Diamond League meeting in Marrakesh, but will instead go to the training camp in St. Moritz. She's dedicated to preparing for the European Championships and the Olympics. The 27-year-old says, "My focus is now on the European Championships. It's a desirable interim step during an extremely long season."
Being seeded for the European Championships, Klosterhalfen is not a top contender for a podium placement three weeks before the event in Rome. The national coach, Isabelle Baumann, envisions a speedier Klosterhalfen. "It's crucial for Koko to be ready in time," Baumann says. "She's an elite performer, and she's highly professional. You can trust her to take every action needed to reach her goals."
Recently, she referred to "a bit of unrest." This change was possibly a result of the switch in coaches since Klosterhalfen split from Gary Lough, Paula Radcliffe's husband, just a few months ago. Jörg Bügner, head of sports at the German Athletics Association, believes that they'll manage the situation in a professional manner. "It remains to be seen how Konstanze Klosterhalfen recovers after her injury and her change in coaches," he shares.
In 2023, Klosterhalfen faced an arduous year. She withdrew from the German Championships due to a foot injury and missed the World Championships in Budapest. She's meticulously working to make 2024 a better year. This might remind her of 2022, a successful year when she clinched gold at the European Championships in Munich's Olympic Stadium. "That was incredibly intense," she recalls. "And it's addictive to be able to feel that again. But right now, I'm trying to disregard that completely."
To reach the Olympics' standard, she's undergoing intense training. Her two-month stay at the Ethiopian camp at 2,700 meters elevation and meeting three-time Olympic winner Kenenisa Bekele heightened her self-belief. She ran her fastest 10-kilometer race on the road in merely 31:07 minutes in Laredo, Spain. Although she hasn't yet reached the Olympic standard of 30:40 minutes, she'll attempt to qualify at the European Championships or the German Championships in Braunschweig at the end of June.
"She's just a bit behind her form at the moment," explains Baumann. "I can't tell you exactly why, as I'm not that close with her, even though we're in constant contact."
At the start of the month, she participated in a 1000-meter race and finished ninth after training. Her fame drew support from the crowd, as young fans sought autographs and selfies. "It's lovely that the children are always there, regardless of how well things may be going," she thinks.
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Source: www.ntv.de
