Athletics - Klosterhalfen misses out on championships and probably also the Olympics
Former European Athletics Champion Konstanze Klosterhalfen has no chance of achieving the Olympic qualification norm and is expected to miss the Summer Games in Paris. The 27-year-old announced her withdrawal from the German Championships taking place from Friday to Sunday in Braunschweig.
The German Athletics Association set the national championships as the last opportunity for Olympic qualification. According to this timeline, the Olympics will take place without the German record holder in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters.
"Not easy for me"
"I held on to the hope until the last minute and did everything to maintain the chance for the DM and the Olympic norm," said Klosterhalfen, according to a statement from her club TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen. But she is not yet back to where she wanted to be after her illness. The virus took more from her than she had anticipated, she said. Due to her illness, she had to withdraw as the defending champion from the European Championships in early June in Rome.
"It's not easy for me right now, but I'm looking forward. I will continue to focus on training, set new goals, and have good spirits for an exciting late season," said Klosterhalfen, who is feeling better after her illness. She made progress in training recently, but personal bests are not yet possible.
Saving grace exception?
Only with an exception in the Olympic nomination process could she still have a chance for Paris. In the world rankings, she is not in a place for the Summer Games. The third-place finisher from the 2019 World Championships must now endure another challenging year. In the previous year, she missed the German Championships due to a foot injury and then the World Championships in Budapest as well.
Klosterhalfen herself does not seem to be counting on a third Olympic participation after 2016 and 2021. "Even if I had set other goals for myself for the year, I will make the best of it and hopefully be able to show fast races this year," said the 5,000-meter European Champion from Munich 2022.
- Konstanze Klosterhalfen, the German record holder in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters, will not compete in the Summer Olympic Games in Paris due to her inability to achieve the Olympic qualification norm.
- Klosterhalfen, who is from Germany, announced her withdrawal from the German Athletics Association's national championships, which were her last opportunity for Olympic qualification.
- Despite her illness, Klosterhalfen participated in the European Championships in Rome earlier this year but had to withdraw as the defending champion.
- The 27-year-old Klosterhalfen, who hails from TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen, is not yet back to where she wants to be in terms of her performance after her illness.
- In order to participate in the Olympic Games in Paris, Klosterhalfen would need an exception in the Olympic nomination process, as she is currently not ranked high enough in the world rankings.
- Klosterhalfen, who won the European Athletics Championships in Munich in 2022, seems to have other goals for herself for the year, but she is hoping to show fast races this year regardless of her absence from the Olympic Games in Paris.
