Gina Luckenkemper experiences a setback right before Olympia
Gina Lückenkemper will be the first German in 36 years to compete in an Olympic final over 100 meters, but just before the start of the Games, she is knocked out. A Coronavirus infection prevents her from training for several days.
Sprinter Gina Lückenkemper suffered a setback before the start of the Olympic Games. The 27-year-old had to cut her training short due to a Covid-19 infection in the past few days. "It had to happen that way. I was actually still sick with Covid on my last competition trip. I've been lying flat for almost a week with Covid. It's frustrating, but that's life", Lückenkemper shared on Instagram.
"I had imagined my preparation for the Olympics differently. But that's how it is now. We'll make the best of it", she added.
Lückenkemper spoke of "light symptoms". She had to completely stop training for three days to "recover as well as possible". She started training again on Tuesday. "I'm really glad that we've managed to get a grip on it relatively quickly", said the 100-meter sprinter, who will travel to Paris on Thursday.
The goal is Olympic final
Lückenkemper has prepared a lot for the competitions. "I have the feeling that something great is sleeping in my legs. That something special is coming, that it needs to be brought onto the track", said the former European champion to "Sports Illustrated": "If that works, the signs are good that I can fulfill my dream of making it to my first individual Olympic final. That's the goal."
With her season best time of 11.04 seconds, Lückenkemper is in 40th place in the world before the start of the Games in Paris. The best time of the European champion in 2022 is 10.95 seconds, run at the 2017 World Championships in London. The last German athlete to make it to an Olympic final over the 100 meters was Heike Drechsler in 1988, who won bronze for East Germany.
Despite the setback caused by Covid-19, Gina Lückenkemper remains hopeful about her participation in the Olympic Games 2024 in Paris, particularly in the Athletics events. Her training schedule was disrupted due to the infection, but she's determined to make the most of the situation.
