Franka Dietzsch at 38 still the best in Ulm - German Champs (© Bongarts / Getty Images)
They were not the best German Championships, the German Athletics Federation ever saw, but there were some good results in Ulm over the weekend (15 / 16 July).
The World champion in the Discus Throw, Franka Dietzsch from Neubrandenburg had no problems with producing a good result. The 38-year-old athlete threw 66.29 metres and nobody could come close to her. The World champion is in a great shape and will be the big favourite for the European Championships in August in Gothenburg. "It is a pity that the young athletes don’t come up (improve),” commented Dietzsch with regret. But she was very happy about her own performance.
Bolm – 12.84
Good results were also set in the hurdles races. Kirsten Bolm, who ran her season’s best mark (12.65) at the IAAF Super Grand Prix in Lausanne, four days before the Championships, won the 100m Hurdles in 12.84 seconds with a difficult wind coming from the front.
"I have wanted to run a much better time, but the way I took the last hurdles was not as good as usual,” confirmed the 31-year-old hurdles from Mannheim.
Thomas Blaschek was the winner at the men’s 110m Hurdles. He ran 13.38 for the second time this year and hopes for a medal in Gothenburg. "I started quite late in the season because of an injury in spring, but now things are exactly going according to plan,” confirmed Blaschek.
Gaba gives some 400m hope
A young man from Frankfurt was the big surprise of the men’s 400m. Kamghe Gaba won in 45.47 seconds and improved his best mark by more than a half a second. But the silver medallist from last year’s European U23 Championships in Erfurt was very self confident. "My goal was to run about 45.5 seconds, I reached 45.47 seconds, so I am happy,” said the young winner.
Gaba is a big hope in Germany for the 400m, and already has experience of the Olympic Games, as he was part of the relay team in Athens 2004, when he was 20.
Riedel, untouchable
In the men’s Discus Throw nobody could beat the five times World champion Lars Riedel. He threw 65.75m and was a comfortable winner. "The conditions were quite good today, so I expected even a little bit more than 65m, but I felt a bit tired,” Riedel said.
Nerius supreme
There was a very exciting women’s Javelin Throw, between the World silver and bronze medallists, respectively Christina Obergföll and Steffi Nerius. After an injury to her throwing arm Nerius is now again in very good shape, and at the end she won with 65.71m, ahead of world season leader Obergföll who produced a competition best of 64.07m.
Two Spiegelburg’s for Gothenburg
A big fight happened also in the men’s Pole Vault. There were quite difficult conditions with a very strong wind. At the end Lars Börgeling won the title of the German Champion (5.75m), second was Richard Spiegelburg (5.70m), and in third place was Tim Lobinger (5.60m).
"It was a tactical competition today, because everybody knew they must be in the first three to be nominated for Gothenburg,” said Börgeling.
There was bad luck for the young 5.81m vaulter Fabian Schulze, as he failed three times at his opening height of 5.50m.
The winner of the women’s event was the junior World record holder, Silke Spiegelburg (4.55 m) - she is the sister of Richard Spiegelburg. So both will travel to the European Championships. "I am very happy. I jumped a new best mark and have defended my title from the last year", said the 20-year-old Silke Spiegelburg.
Ursula Kaiser for IAAF
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European Championships Team
Men (including club affiliations)
100m - Ronny Ostwald (TV Wattenscheid 01)
200m - Sebastian Ernst (TV Wattenscheid 01), Daniel Schnelting (LAZ Rhede)
400m - Kamghe Gaba (LG Eintracht Frankfurt), Ruwen Faller (SC Magdeburg), Sebastian Gatzka (LG Eintracht Frankfurt)
800m - Rene Herms (LG asics Pirna)
1500m - Carsten Schlangen (LG Nord Berlin)
5000m - Jan Fitschen (TV Wattenscheid 01), Arne Gabius (LAV asics Tübingen)
10 000m - Fitschen, Alexander Lubina (TV Wattenscheid 01), André Pollmächer (LAC Erdgas Chemnitz)
110m hurdles - Thomas Blaschek (LAZ Leipzig), Jens Werrmann (LAZ Zweibrücken)
20km walk - Andre Höhne (SCC Berlin)
Pole vault - Tim Lobinger (ASV Köln), Lars Börgeling (TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen), Richard Spiegelburg (TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen)
Long jump - Sebastian Bayer (TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen), Oliver Koenig (LAZ Leipzig)
Triple jump - Andreas Pohle (ASV Erfurt)
Shot put - Ralf Bartels (SC Neubrandenburg), Peter Sack (LAZ Leipzig), Andy Dittmar (LG Ohra Hörselgas)
Discus - Lars Riedel (LAC Erdgas Chemnitz), Michael Möllenbeck (TV Wattenscheid 01), Robert Harting (SCC Berlin)
Hammer - Markus Esser (TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen), Karsten Kobs (BV Teutonia Dortmund-Lanstrop)
Javelin - Stefan Wenk (VfL Sindelfingen), Christian Nicolay (TV Wattenscheid 01) and either Mark Frank (1. LAV Rostock) or Peter Esenwein (LAZ Salamander Kornwestheim/Ludwigsbuerg)
Decathlon - Dennis Leyckes (LAV Bayer Uerdingen/Dormagen), Stefan Drews (TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen), Pascal Behrenbruch (LG Eintracht 4x100m - Ostwald, Ernest Alexander Kosenkow, (TV Wattenscheid 01), Marius Broening (LAV asics Tübingen), Martin Keller (LAC Erdgas Chemnitz)
4x400m - Gatzka, Gaba, Faller, Bastian Swillims (TV Wattenscheid 01), Florian Seitz (OSC Berlin), Andreas Wischek (LG Meckenheim)
Women
100m - Verena Sailer (LAC Quelle Fürth/München/Würzburg), Katja Wakan (Hallesche LAF)
200m - Birgit Rockmeier (LG Olympia Dortmund)
400m - Claudia Hoffmann (SC Potsdam)
800m - Monika Gradzki (TV Wattenscheid 01)
5000m - Sabrina Mockenhaupt (Kölner Verein für Marathon)
10000m - Mockenhaupt, Irina Mikitenko (TV Wattenscheid 01)
Marathon - Luminita Zaituc (LG Braunschweig), Claudia Dreher (Gänsefurther Sportbewegung), Ulrike Maisch (1. LAV Rostock), Susanne Hahn (SV Schlau.com Saar 05 Saarbrücken)
100m hurdles –Kirsten Bolm (MTG Mannheim)
400m hurdles - Claudia Marx (Erfurter LAC)
3000m steeplechase - Verena Dreier (LG Sieg)
20km walk - Sabine Zimmer (SC Potsdam), Melanie Seeger (SC Potsdam) High jump - Julia Hartmann (TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen)
Pole vault - Silke Spiegelburg (TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen), Nastja Ryshich (ABC Ludwigshafen), Martina Strutz (SG Dynamo Schwerin)
Long Jump - Claudia Tonn (LC Paderborn)
Shot put - Petra Lammert (SC Neubrandenburg), Nadine Kleinert (SC Magdeburg)
Discus - Franka Dietzsch (SC Neubrandenburg)
Hammer - Betty Heidler (LG Eintracht Frankfurt), Susanne Keil (TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen), Kathrin Klaas (LG Eintracht Frankfurt)
Javelin - Steffi Nerius (TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen), Christina Obergföll (LG Offenburg), Annika Suthe (TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen)
Heptathlon - Lilli Schwarzkopf (LC Paderborn), Claudia Tonn (LC Paderborn), Jennifer Oeser (TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen)
4x100m - Sailer, Wakan, Sandra Möller (TV Wattenscheid 01), Marion Wagner (USC Mainz), Jala Gangnus (LG Weserbergland), Cathleen Tschirch (LG Weserbergland)
4x400m - Hoffmann, Marx, Korinna Fink (LG Eintracht Frankfurt), Anja Pollmächer (LAC Erdgas Chemnitz), Jana Neubert (LAC Erdgas Chemnitz), Nadine Balkow (LG Nike Berlin)
