Tim Lobinger (GER) in action in the men's pole vault final (© Getty Images)
, Germany Just in time Tim Lobinger seems to be back on the way to top form. The reigning World Indoor champion was the only athlete to clear 5.75m in the Pple Vault on the second day of the German Indoor Championships in Dortmund.
Unger takes surprise 200m win
But the surprise of the day was not Lobinger’s victory but Tobias Unger’s victory in the 200 metres with an extraordinary 20.59. With this time he catapulted himself to the second spot on the World season’s list.
This isn’t the first time Unger has run so fast though as last on 1 June last year he sprinted to 20.41 in the 200m in a small local meeting in Oberkirch in the South West of Germany. It was the fastest time set by a German 200m runner in 18 years. But when the season progressed he was never able to come close to that again.
Coming to Dortmund, Unger had an indoor season’s best of 20.88 but did never expect to go home from here as the second fastest runner in the world this winter. He stormed to 20.59 just 30 minutes after he having also won the 60 metres. In the short sprint Unger clocked 6.63 and was just one hundredth of a second ahead of Ronny Ostwald and Marc Blume.
“I was not sure beforehand what I would be capable of because of the 60m final just half an hour earlier. But it was a big extra motivation to win the 60 metres first and then go into the 200m final,” Unger said.
“It was decisive that I ran a perfect curve today,” he said and explained. “I am only training outdoors, because the next indoor training facility is 180km away from my home. So it is sometimes not easy for me to adapt to the indoor track.”
Looking back “I am much more relaxed this year. Before Paris last year that was not the case. This time I will just see what happens in Budapest. We have trained very well and I am sure it will work out.”
There will be a second German 200m sprinter in Budapest as Sebastian Ernst, who is five years younger than Unger, came in second in 20.86, a season’s best and a qualifying time for Budapest.
“There is no rivalry between us. We push each other forward – and sometime in the future we will be on top,” Sebastian Ernst said.
Despite the absence of Ingo Schultz, who does not run indoors, there was a good 400m final with Simon Kirch winning in 46.30. Second place went to Bastian Swillims in 46.73.
Lobinger clears 5.75m for victory
Still when the international competition in Budapest comes it will probably be the Pole Vault rather that the sprints which will bring a medal to the Germans. Tim Lobinger defended his national title on Sunday but it was not an easy task.
“Normally at 5.60 metres there are few opponents left. But this time it was different. There was some pressure, but it somehow pushes me forward although it is not easy,” Lobinger stated.
Seven jumpers were still in competition when it came to 5.65m though Michael Stolle and Richard Spiegelburg had left out 5.60m and had to be content with 5.50m. But there was Fabian Schulze who surprised with 5.60m for third place and Georgi Wassilew who cleared this height as well for fourth place.
In the end the title was fought between Lobinger and Björn Otto. Otto first seemed to be in the better position when he cleared 5.70m at his first attempt while Lobinger needed one more jump. However, it was the World Indoor champion who cleared 5.75m at once, and Otto failed. He then went on for 5.80m but failed.
When Lobinger knew he had won he went for a world leading 5.83m with his last two jumps. But with his eighth and ninth jump of the competition he could not yet cope with the height.
“Looking at the how my season is going I can say that improvements are happening so I am looking forward to the meetings in Chemnitz and Leipzig next weekend. I need these, because I want to know that I am able to jump 5.80 metres before the World Championships,” Lobinger explained.
Rath remains in good form
Another athlete looking forward to Budapest is Daniela Rath. After clearing 1.95m in her second attempt she went straight on for 2.01m. But the new personal best was slightly too high on Sunday.
“I felt a bit tired when it came to 2.01m. Due to the championships’ competition starting at 1.65m I had to wait so long before I finally started at 1.87m. It was difficult to stay focussed today. I hope to be able to jump a personal best in Budapest,” Daniela Rath said.
Jorg Wenig for the IAAF
Results, day two:
Men
60m
1. Tobias Unger 6.63
2. Ronny Ostwald 6.64
3. Marc Blume 6.64
4. Alexander Kosenkow 6.67
200m
1. Tobias Unger 20.59
2. Sebastian Ernst 20.86
3. Till Helmke 21.50
400m
1. Simon Kirch 46.30
2. Bastian Swillims 46.73
3. Sebastian Gatzka 48.35
800m
1. René Herms 1:47.84
2. Nico Motchebon 1:48.54
3. Toni Mohr 1:48.67
1500m
1. Franek Haschke 3:50.02
2. Christian Knoblich 3:50.08
3. Said Lakhal 3:50.72
LJ
1. Peter Rapp 7.98
2. Nils Winter 7.84
3. Matthias Eifert 7.83
PV
1. Tim Lobinger 5.75
2. Björn Otto 5.70
3. Fabian Schulze 5.60
4. Georgi Wassilew 5.60
5. Lars Börgeling 5.60
4x200m: 1. TV Wattenscheid (Kosenkow, M. Blume, H. Blume, Filipowski) 1:25.87.
4x400m: 1. Eintracht Frankfurt (Kuschewitz, Gaba, Ruch, Gatzka) 3:10.20.
Women
60m
1. Gabi Rockmeier 7.24
2. Nadine Hentschke 7.31
3. Marion Wagner 7.35
4. Sina Schielke 7.36
200m
1. Birgit Rockmeier 23.51
2. Anke Feller 23.89
3. Nicole Marahrens 24.10
400m
1. Claudia Marx 52.51
2. Jana Neubert 52.94
3. Maren Schott 53.65
800m
1. Monika Gradzki 2:05.51
2. Simone Beutelspacher 2:06.39
3. Katrin Judith Trauth 2:07.74
1500m
1. Kathleen Friedrich 4:18.00
2. Juliane Becker 4:20.14
3. Antje Möldner 4:20.43
TJ
1. Silvia Otto 13.73
2. Katja Demut 13.63
3. Tanja König 12.97
HJ
1. Daniela Rath 1.95
2. Melanie Skotnik 1.93
3. Ariane Friedrich 1.90
4x200 m: 1. LG Nike Berlin (Balkow, Marx, Neupert, Gröb) 1:35.86.
