Linke vomits and misses out on a European Championship award.
Germany's top long-distance walker Christopher Linke was unable to secure another international medal at the European Athletics Championships in Rome. The 35-year-old native of Potsdam dropped out of the 20-kilometer race midway due to the scorching heat.
Christopher Linke, who holds the national record for long-distance walking in Germany, failed to snag the first German male medal at the European Championships after 46 years. Previously placed fifth at the World Championships and the Olympics, Linke trailed behind the leader for most of the race. However, he took over the lead as a result of the intense heat. He ultimately decided to withdraw early.
"Around kilometer 13, things started going downhill, by kilometer 16 I was struggling severely, and I gave up. I aimed for a medal and that's my primary ambition; I wanted to succeed and participate," explained Linke to ZDF. Before the race, he said his goodbyes, "So, now I'm entering hell." Linke had previously earned silver over 35 kilometers, which wasn't part of the competition in Rome.
Linke falls behind the front-runners
Karlsun took the lead ahead of Paul McGrath (Spain) and Italian Francesco Fortunato. Linke remained close to the front even with temperatures still hovering above 30 degrees after the start. When Karlsun and McGrath surged ahead following the first half of the race, Linke tried to maintain their pace on the outer bank of the Olympic Stadium track, but eventually had to relinquish his chase and got a warning for inappropriate behavior. Soon after, Fortunato overtook him, followed by more competitors.
Berlin's Leo Köpp came in eighth place (1:21:19), while Nathaniel Seiler finished in a distant 25th (1:27:42). World champion Alvaro Martin (Spain) and Tokyo Olympic champion Massimo Stano were both absent from the competition – the former due to a title defense, the latter due to a foot injury.
Since 1978, the East German Roland Wieser became European champion in Prague. Four years earlier, the legendary Bernd Kannenberg had claimed silver in Rome for the German athletics association (DLV).
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Despite Christopher Linke's efforts to stay with the front-runners in the 20-kilometer race at the European Athletics Championships, the intense heat took its toll. Linke, who was aiming for a medal, had to withdraw early, missing out on a chance to add to Germany's long-distance walking accomplishments at the European Championships, a feat last achieved by Roland Wieser in 1978 for the DLV.
