European Championship for Athletics - Petros enjoying post-Paris success with three half marathon medals
Germany's outstanding long-distance runner Amanal Petros, fresh off winning a bronze medal at the European Athletics Championships, makes a beeline for Paris.
There, the marathon record holder takes a closer look at the course in Rome, where an impressive feat is planned for the upcoming Olympics in two months.
"It means a lot to me, naturally. I'm extremely happy," shared Petros, who came in third during the final sprint at the Olympic Stadium, just missing second place. The title was claimed by Italian Yemaneberhan Crippa in 1:01:03 hours, beating fellow countryman Pietro Riva (1:01:04), who secured the silver, while Petros (1:01:07) had to satisfy with the bronze.
German women earn silver overall
The German runners, including fifth-place finisher Melat Kejeta, snagged silver over approximately 21.1 kilometers through the historical sites of Rome. Kejeta, the front-runner for the German women, faded before the final stretch and finished in 1:09:42 hours in fifth position, behind Norwegian Karoline Grövdal (1:08:09) who took home the gold. The medals continued to pour in for the Germans as Domenika Mayer (1:10:49) finished eleventh and Esther Pfeiffer (1:11:28) ranked eighteenth, together clinching the team silver just behind the UK.
This might serve as a welcome morale booster for the German squad at the EM, which only brought about a few high points after some dismal performances. On top of bronze for shot putter Yemisi Ogunleye, the discus throwers and race walkers Christopher Linke met with the same fate on Saturday, while the Italian competitors racked up one championship after another.
Italy appears to be in the driving seat for a top spot in the nation standings, with Crippa's victory in the half marathon bringing them their seventh title so far. The lackluster show by the German team and the dull atmosphere surrounding it could not help but dampen the overall mood of the event.
Disappointing performance among discus throwers
In front of over 20,000 enthusiastic fans at the Olympic Stadium, the German discus throwers struggled and had to bear their disappointing Saturday evening first. There was no gold, no medal, or even a top-four finish for Claudine Vita, Shanice Craft, and European champion Marike Steinacker.
"I'm a bit lost for words. This definitely wasn't what we had in mind. I began to stiffen during the event," Vita remarked, who tossed a respectable 62.65 meters, the most of the Germans. "I'm just upset with my performance, with my failure," added Craft.
Olympic silver medalist Kristin Pudenz, who didn't participate in Rome, will be the one to claim the three starting spots for Paris at the end of June in Braunschweig. Croatian Sandra Elkasevic claimed her seventh straight EM title with a throw of 67.04 meters.
55+ year-old Geher-Routinier Linke grew tired of settling for fifth and sixth slots at age 35. He led the 20-kilometer race in the scorching evening heat but eventually dropped out due to fatigue. "If you don't join the frontrunners and take risks, you won't win a medal," he sighed. Like in the half marathon, Linke's departure from Rome was marked by a sense of regret for the German team.
Read also:
- Petros plans to study the half marathon course in Rome, a venue for the upcoming Olympic Games in Europe.
- At the European Athletics Championships, Petros secured a bronze medal in the half marathon, finishing behind Italy's Yemaneberhan Crippa and Pietro Riva.
- Germany's women's team managed to secure the silver medal in the half marathon event, with Melat Kejeta finishing fifth and helping the team clinch the second place position.
- Germany's performances at the European Championships have been lackluster, with only a few high points, such as shot putter Yemisi Ogunleye's bronze medal.
- Christopher Linke, a discus thrower from Germany, had a disappointing performance at the European Championships, failing to secure a medal despite leading the race early on.
- Linke, now 55+ years old, aiming for higher placement, led the 20-kilometer race but ultimately dropped out due to fatigue, causing disappointment among the German team.
- Italy has been dominating the nation standings at the European Championships, with Crippa's victory in the half marathon bringing them their seventh title, while Germany struggles to find their footing.
