Konstanze Klosterhalfen chases her best shape
Two years after securing her title at the European Championship, Konstanze Klosterhalfen is still not where she wants to be. Instead of participating in the Diamond League, she's off to a training camp. There was also some restlessness. Since she's the defending champion, Klosterhalfen is seeded for the European Championships.
Rather than competing at the Diamond League meet in Marrakesh, European champion Konstanze Klosterhalfen will be attending a training camp. She's gearing up for the European Championships and the Olympics in St. Moritz and will be missing out on this weekend's race. "I'm now fully focused on the European Championships," said the 27-year-old. "It's a nice break during an incredibly long season."
As the defending champion, Klosterhalfen is seeded for the European Championships - she's not in medal contention three weeks before the title fights in Rome. But she doesn't need to be with two major events in her lineup. However, the national coach would like to see an improved Klosterhalfen. "It's crucial for Koko to get into shape in a timely manner. She's a top-notch athlete. She's extremely professional. You can always trust her to do whatever it takes to be in shape," says Isabelle Baumann. "That's one of the reasons she's heading back to a training camp in St. Moritz."
"Right now, things are starting to calm down a bit," Klosterhalfen, the 2019 World Championship bronze medalist, said earlier in the month. "There was some disruption recently," she alluded to the recent change of coach. Klosterhalfen and her coach, Gary Lough, husband of former marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe, split up again after a short time. "You have to observe how Konstanze Klosterhalfen rebounds after her injury and the change of coach," said Jörg Bügner, Head of Sport at the German Athletics Association. "It's certainly a challenging situation, but I know she and those around her will handle it professionally."
After a challenging year in 2023, where she abandoned her start at the German Championships due to a foot injury and then missed the World Championships in Budapest, Klosterhalfen is meticulously preparing for a better 2024. A year like 2022, where she secured her biggest victory at the European Championships, may be a realistic goal. In Munich's Olympic Stadium, she won the European Championship in the 5000 meters to the deafening cheers of the crowd. "It was so emotional," Klosterhalfen reminisced. "And of course, you want to experience that again. But right now, I'm trying my best to forget about it completely."
Intense training is required now. The nearly two-month-long training camp in Ethiopia at an altitude of 2700 meters, where she met three-time Olympic champion Kenenisa Bekele, gave her a lot of assurance. Just like her only third 10-kilometer road race at the beginning of the year in Laredo, Spain, which saw her run faster than ever before - 31:07 minutes. But like her attempts in Regensburg and Paderborn, it wasn't enough for the Olympic standard of 30:40 minutes. She's also yet to qualify for the Summer Games in the 5000 meters. She should be targeting the standard at the European Championships or the German Championships in Braunschweig in late June.
"She's behind her form right now," said Baumann. "I can't pinpoint the exact reason, as I'm not that close to her, even though we are in constant communication." The wife of 5000m Olympic champion Dieter Baumann was in Pliezhausen at the beginning of the month when Klosterhalfen raced the unusually short distance of 1000 meters and finished in ninth place after training. However, despite not winning, autographs and selfies of "Koko" were in high demand from young fans. "It's great that the kids are always there, regardless of whether things are going well or not," she said.
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Despite her success at the European Championship, Konstanze Klosterhalfen is still striving for her best shape. Klosterhalfen, the defending champion, is seeded for the upcoming European Championships but will be attending a training camp instead of participating in the Diamond League. The national coach emphasizes the importance of Klosterhalfen getting into shape in a timely manner, recognizing her professionalism and dedication to her craft.
Source: www.ntv.de
