Formanova
is back
Alfons Juck for the IAAF
14 December 2001 – Misecky,
Czech Republic - In 1999 she had a
perfect 800 m year. Gold medals at World
Indoor Championships in Maebashi and
mainly at World Outdoor Championships in
Seville. Everybody looked forward to a
great year in 2000 and started thinking
whether this girl can achieve as much as
her coach, Jarmila Kratochvilova. But
then injuries suddenly brought her
career to a halt. Her last race was in
Sydney and she failed to finish her
heat. Since then she has been unable to
compete throughout 2001 - she wanted to
get fit again after surgery to correct
tendonitis of the foot under the
Achilles, but she started training too
soon, developed groin problems and
decided to quit for the year. But this
is now forgotten. Ludmila Formanova of
Czech Republic (on 2 January she will be
28) is back in training with aims for
the indoor and outdoor season of 2002.
"My health is now ok and I want to compete as soon as possible. Already during the indoor season. It was a long period without any of the hype around a big meet. First I was happy, so quiet no stress, but as time passed I started to miss the athletics scene. My training is going well, and we both, with my coach Jarmila Kratochilova, are again looking forward to the 800 metres.
"2001 was very interesting for our event, mainly with duels between Stephanie Graf and Maria Mutola. They are the top two, but then it is open," said Formanova.
She is currently in Misecky, in the Czech Krkonose mountains. Skiing on nice courses, she is again full of optimism. Last week her coach Jarmila and a group of young runners came also, so it is now more fun. In January she plans three weeks at Grand Canaria. Then the indoor season will come.
With her teammate Helena Fuchsova (bronze medallist at World Indoor Championships 2001 in Lisbon), home hero Stephanie Graf and other good runners the women´s 800 m will be one of the highlights of the European Indoor Championships in Vienna next March. Due to the popularity of Graf, the organisers have already sold half of the tickets for the Sunday 800m finals.