Betty Heidler of Germany on her way to victory in the Women's Hammer Throw Final (© Getty Images)
“Franka Dietzsch was my role model yesterday,” said an overjoyed Betty Heidler after taking the women’s Hammer Throw title with a throw of 74.76m. “She inspired me. I thought if she can win this and I can to a day later, that would be huge. And it would be just so great if we meet together tonight with two gold medals.”
At the age of 23 the German, who was born and brought up in Berlin, the venue of the next World Championships in 2009, is still very young for hammer throwing. Five years ago she moved to Frankfurt because training facilities and general conditions were better there. “But now I am looking very forward to already being qualified for the championships in my original hometown.”
Took command early
While Dietzsch had achieved the winning mark with her very first throw a day earlier, Heidler did this with her second.
“My first one was very good as well, but it was a foul. So I just tried to do it again in round two and it worked,” the German record holder said. Last year Heidler had improved the national best a couple of times and it has stood at 76.55m since. “It will be my aim to further improve this, but I cannot say now how far I will be able to throw.”
“After my first throw I had the feeling that this should be far enough to get a medal,” said Heidler, who is, as are a number of other German elite athletes, a member of the German Police Force (border police unit). “But I did not expect to win gold with that at that moment. Then I was surprised that Ivana Brkljacic missed the final cut and was no longer in competition.” When the eventual silver medallist Yipsi Moreno of Cuba had her last throw, it appeared on TV screens that it was a little further than Heidler’s leading mark.
Close until the final throw
“I turned away at first when Yipsi had her last throw – I did not want to see it. But in the end I did see where it landed thought, ‘OK, that was it. I will have the silver.’ It was unbelievable when I saw that I was still in the lead and had won the world championship.”
This was Heidler’s first major medal of any color. Her best position before Osaka was fourth at the 2004 Olympics. A year ago she placed sixth at the European Championships but then went on to take the World Athletics Final title in Stuttgart. “For me, it doesn’t make much difference if I win by 20 centimetres, or by two as I did today. But I can imagine,” she added, “that it is annoying to lose by two centimetres.”
Concerning Beijing next year and the next World Championships in Berlin the year after, Heidler said, “I do not regard myself as a favourite for those since I wasn’t before today’s final. It will not be a different situation concerning my approach. Heidler explained that because she is much more stable technically this year, she did arrive in Osaka with much more self-confidence.
Carrying on a family tradition that begin at 1936 Olympics
There is a great athletics tradition in Heidler’s family. Her great grandfather was a high jumper who competed at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. Martin Riefstahl had even carried the Olympic flame during the Olympic torch relay.
“I still have that torch at home,” Heidler said.
Additionally her great cousin is a famous name in international athletics: Cornelia Oschkenat. 20 years ago she clocked 12.45 100m Hurdles, still is the third fastest time ever by a German. Under her maiden name Cornelia Riefstahl she finished seventh in the 100m Hurdles final in Helsinki’s World Championships in 1983, and four years later as Cornelia Oschkenat won the bronze medal in Rome.
It was not the family that brought her to athletics though.
“I did not really know what to do when I was 15, and a friend did athletics. And she took me along.” It was then a coincidence that a Berlin coach, Bernd Mädler, spotted her talent for the Hammer Throw. “I first had no intention to make a career as a hammer thrower. But then it simply developed.”
Heidler will probably make sure that Mädler will be able watch her live in two year’s time: “I am really looking very forward to this since I have lived in Berlin until I was 18.” Heidler is indeed will on the way to further continue a great family tradition in athletics.
Jörg Wenig for the IAAF
