Germany's favourite high jumper Ariane Friedrich clears 2.02m to secure the bronze medal on count-back in a thrilling women's High Jump in the Berlin Olympic Stadium (© Getty Images)
High jumper Ariane Friedrich will be among the key headliners at the BW-Bank meeting in Karlsruhe on 31 January 2010.
The BW-Bank Meeting is the second of ten IAAF Indoor Permit Meetings in 2010 which lead into the 13th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Doha, Qatar, 12-14 March.
Earlier this year, Friedrich mesmerized athletics fans in Germany and throughout the world, first with a solid indoor campaign ahead of her European indoor title in Turin and then again early in the summer, when the roar of the crowd after her 2.06m national record leap at the ISTAF meeting rocked the foundations of Berlin’s historic Olympic Stadium.
She returned to the same stadium for the World Championships in August as one of Germany’s brightest medal prospects and despite the immense pressure weighing on her slight shoulders, she took the bronze in one of the championships’ most dramatic competitions.
But it was indoors, in Karlsruhe, where she first made waves. Wearing bib No. 205, Friedrich scaled 2.05m on her first attempt to defeat Blanka Vlasic on countback. Tempting fate, she'll be wearing bib No. 206 when she returns to Karlsruhe’s Europahalle next month.
“My preparations are going very well indeed, and I’ll happily wear that number,” Friedrich said. “How high I’ll ultimately jump, we’ll just have to wait and see.”
Her appearance though comes during what Friedrich, who’ll celebrate her 26th birthday on 10 January, describes as “the toughest time in my life.” The jumper is currently in the examination phase of her studies to become a Police Commissioner. “Sleep, study and train,” is how she describes her routine these days. If all goes according to plan, she’ll arrive in Karlsruhe two days after her swearing-in ceremony.
Other jumps to be share centre stage
Meeting director Alain Blondel announced that not only will the women’s High Jump be a main focus of the meeting’s 26th edition, but the men’s Long Jump as well.
“After the success of the German long jumper in 2009, with the European Indoor title by Sebastian Bayer, the European indoor silver by Nils Winter, and a total of five jumpers over eight metres, we want the guys to be given the opportunity to present themselves at the BW Bank Meeting,” Blondel said. Likewise a strong German contingent can be expected in the men’s Pole Vault as well.
Blondel has also added to the programme what he deemed an “absolute world premiere”: an indoor 4x100m Relay to celebrate the surprise bronze medal-winning performance by the German women’s quartet at the World Championships in Berlin.
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF
The BW-Bank Meeting is the second of ten IAAF Indoor Permit Meetings in 2010 which lead into the 13th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Doha, Qatar, 12-14 March.
Earlier this year, Friedrich mesmerized athletics fans in Germany and throughout the world, first with a solid indoor campaign ahead of her European indoor title in Turin and then again early in the summer, when the roar of the crowd after her 2.06m national record leap at the ISTAF meeting rocked the foundations of Berlin’s historic Olympic Stadium.
She returned to the same stadium for the World Championships in August as one of Germany’s brightest medal prospects and despite the immense pressure weighing on her slight shoulders, she took the bronze in one of the championships’ most dramatic competitions.
But it was indoors, in Karlsruhe, where she first made waves. Wearing bib No. 205, Friedrich scaled 2.05m on her first attempt to defeat Blanka Vlasic on countback. Tempting fate, she'll be wearing bib No. 206 when she returns to Karlsruhe’s Europahalle next month.
“My preparations are going very well indeed, and I’ll happily wear that number,” Friedrich said. “How high I’ll ultimately jump, we’ll just have to wait and see.”
Her appearance though comes during what Friedrich, who’ll celebrate her 26th birthday on 10 January, describes as “the toughest time in my life.” The jumper is currently in the examination phase of her studies to become a Police Commissioner. “Sleep, study and train,” is how she describes her routine these days. If all goes according to plan, she’ll arrive in Karlsruhe two days after her swearing-in ceremony.
Other jumps to be share centre stage
Meeting director Alain Blondel announced that not only will the women’s High Jump be a main focus of the meeting’s 26th edition, but the men’s Long Jump as well.
“After the success of the German long jumper in 2009, with the European Indoor title by Sebastian Bayer, the European indoor silver by Nils Winter, and a total of five jumpers over eight metres, we want the guys to be given the opportunity to present themselves at the BW Bank Meeting,” Blondel said. Likewise a strong German contingent can be expected in the men’s Pole Vault as well.
Blondel has also added to the programme what he deemed an “absolute world premiere”: an indoor 4x100m Relay to celebrate the surprise bronze medal-winning performance by the German women’s quartet at the World Championships in Berlin.
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF
