"Klosterhalfen withdraws from European Championships due to health issues"
Konstanze Klosterhalfen, a renowned German long-distance runner, won't be defending her title at the Athletics European Championships. She's currently dealing with the consequences of an infection that had already caused some concerns about her performance.
The 27-year-old athlete had hoped to participate despite the infection, but eventually decided against it. Initially, Klosterhalfen was nominated for both the 5000 meters and the 10,000 meters in Rome.
Following this announcement, the German Athletics Association (DLV) revealed that her goal would be to prepare for the German Championships in Braunschweig at the end of June, hoping to qualify for the Paris Olympics. national coach Isabelle Baumann gave her take on the situation, "Koko has put a lot of effort into preparing for this season. It's a shame she has to deal with a health setback at this crucial moment. But it's completely logical to withdraw from the EM. That way, she can maintain her hope for an Olympic qualification."
Missing the European Championships will be a setback for Klosterhalfen in terms of her Olympic aspirations: "My main focus right now is the EM. It's a very gratifying intermediate step during such a long season," she said in mid-May. "I'll also use the EM to prepare well for the Olympics."
National coach Isabelle Baumann seemed perplexed by the situation beforehand: "It's pretty dramatic when you have a title defender in your own country and then have to watch them struggle," she told Sport1 about the 5000-meter European champion. "I don't have an explanation for it, except that it's hard because she's not meeting her own expectations. That creates pressure for her because she's not pleased with her performance."
Apart from Klosterhalfen, long-distance runners Alina Reh (Half Marathon team) and Miriam Dattke (10,000 meters) will also be absent from the European Championships due to issues in their respective preparation processes. According to the DLV, these difficulties prevent them from competing in their respective events in good condition.
Read also:
Klosterhalfen's withdrawal from the Athletics European Championships leaves a gap in the German team, particularly in the 5000 meters and the 10,000 meters events. Despite her initial hope to participate despite her infection, Klosterhalfen's focus now shifts to preparing for the German Championships in Braunschweig, aiming for an Olympic qualification.
