70.20 European javelin record for Christina Obergföll in Munich (© Bongarts)
Hundreds of buses carried spectators to last Sunday’s IAAF Golden League meeting in Berlin, and among the many vehicles also travelling this weekend to the IAAF / VTB Bank World Athletics Final, Stuttgart, Germany (22 / 23 Sep) there will be two very special coaches full of supporters from the small city of Offenburg. This is the hometown of Christina Obergföll.
“It is about 150 kilometres away from Stuttgart,“ confirms Obergföll, 26, the European record holder in the women’s Javelin, “so for me this is a home game.”
“I know that many people from Offenburg will travel in buses to see me compete this weekend. This is a great motivation and I am looking very forward to it. I will give everything I have at the World Athletics Final, but also want to enjoy the competition.”
Obergföll improved her European Record by 17 centimetres to 70.20 when taking the European Cup event in Munich, and expectations and pressure were high when she travelled to Osaka as the big favourite for the gold. But in the end she had to settle for the silver behind Barbora Spotakova (Czech Republic). The two plus Christina Obergföll’s national rival Steffi Nerius, who had taken the bronze in Osaka, will meet again in Stuttgart.
That promises a fine competition once again. But as Christina Obergföll says this is not so much about any revenge from Osaka: “Barbora has won the highlight event of the year – I accept this. It all went perfect for her in Osaka.”
“Because of the late stage of the season I cannot see me throwing another 70 metres this year. But 66 metres could be still possible in Stuttgart,” confirms Obergföll. “Training feels a bit harder these weeks and it is not going to become easier now. Also I feel that I lack a bit of explosiveness in competition. But I am still in good form.”
Obergföll is very happy with her season and the silver medal from Osaka. “Two years ago, when I had caused a major surprise by taking the silver medal at the World Championships with a European record (70.03 m) a lot of people said this was a one time performance with a big portion of luck. They thought I would never achieve this again.”
But this year Obergföll, who had placed fourth in last year’s European Championships, has definitely proved those critics wrong. She first improved her continental record and then took another silver.
“For the whole year I have thrown on a very high level," said Obergföll. She will do everything to continue this in Stuttgart.
Jörg Wenig for the IAAF