This event was worth an extra announcement for the stadium announcer. Euphoric, as Americans are when it comes to announcing success stories, the lady screamed into her microphone as if unleashed: "Dear spectators, that was Germany's first medal at the World Championships." 25,000 spectators in Eugene's pretty Hayward Field responded with loud applause .
It was 7:36 p.m. Saturday evening local time. It was hard to believe, but it was true: the German women's relay over 4 x 100 meters sprinted across the finish line in third place after 42.03 seconds and on the ninth and penultimate day of competition ensured the redeeming podium finish for the German track and field athletes, after javelin thrower Julian Weber only finished fourth in his competition.
It wasn't a medal with an announcement that the quartet won with starter Tatjana Pinto, who handed over the baton to Alexandra Burghardt before Gina Lückenkemper sprinted Rebekka Haase down the home stretch in third place. If everything went perfectly for the young women, i.e. if the changes were perfect, and if at least one of the faster nations had a mishap, then, but only then, was a medal within the realm of possibility. All the ifs actually came together. The fact that the Brits, who were leading after 350 meters, was slowed down by a thigh strain in their top runner Dina Asher-Smith was fortunate for the fit. The teams from the USA (41.14 seconds) and Jamaica (41.08) dueled in their own league.
"Thank you, girls," said Tatjana Pinto to her beaming teammates and at the same time thanked everyone who made this sensational success possible. All of those, whether coaches, doctors, scientists or physical therapists, had given them the confidence to do something great in the University of Oregon arena. The last time a German sprint relay team was able to celebrate a medal at the World Championships was in Berlin in 2009, when the quartet at the time also finished third.
As Tatjana Pinto sat in the catacombs of the stadium to prepare for the final, she meditated on a bronze medal. "That's how I ran too. It was just crazy," reported the 30-year-old from TV Wattenscheid with a liberating smile. "After so many years it was finally our turn. Always finishing fourth or fifth is no fun.” Last year at the Summer Games in Tokyo, they finished fifth with the same line-up.
When Germany's fastest Gina Lückenkemper (25) handed over the baton to Rebekka Haase, she "got such an adrenaline rush that I would have liked to have walked down the home stretch hand in hand with Rebekka." Lung out of the throat to give Haase the final push. "I heard Gina scream," said the cheered woman, "but I didn't need that anymore. I just ran like my life was at stake. I really wanted the first medal for us, no matter what the cost,” Rebekka Haase (29) described how she experienced the most emotional moment of her career on the way to the medal podium.
However, it seemed to take an eternity for the Saxon from Sprint Team Wetzlar to realize what they had achieved together. In disbelief, she looked around the stadium for confirmation of the placement, "which I didn't want to believe". She was only freed from her doubts when she saw the result light up on the two video screens.
The first medal win not only sparked enthusiasm in the German team. Jamaica's sprint queen Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (35) was also happy for her rivals in the gold jerseys. "The girls really deserve the medal, while they're still fighting for it, it's about time. Endurance is always rewarded at some point," said the five-time world champion over 100 meters, adding with a wink: "As long as they're not faster than us, they can always win medals."
“Everyone did their job perfectly this time. It was just our day,” said Alexandra Burghardt. "The best runs are the ones you don't know anything about, that's how I felt afterwards today," added the 28-year-old, wanting to say: "We were all in the flow." The culture and business student from Upper Bavaria could already do it celebrate a special medal for the second time this year. At the Winter Olympics in Beijing in February, she pushed Mariama Jamanka's bobsleigh to silver.
Burghardt does not want to leave it at that for 2022. She is now looking towards the European Championships starting on August 15 in Munich. There she would like to complete her set of medals - and did not meet with any objection from her fellow campaigners: "Now gold is still missing. I don't want to build up any pressure. But I think the goal is clear." In any case, there will be a big celebration in September. That's when she wants to get married.
Julian Weber would also have liked to celebrate – on Saturday. But instead of the hoped for, even expected great success, the bitter Olympic experience repeated itself for the Berlin-based Rhinelander, who trains at SC Potsdam. Just like last summer in the Japanese capital, the 27-year-old had to settle for fourth place in Eugene. "It's so annoying," stammered the bald-headed sports soldier, deeply disappointed, and said in complete despair: "I'd rather have finished fifth."
The competition could hardly have started any better. With 86.86 meters, Weber was already on a medal level after the first attempt, which he later lost to Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra from India (88.13 m) and Olympic silver medalist Jakub Vadlejch from the Czech Republic (88.09 m). He himself was no longer able to increase. Anderson Peters from Grenada made everything clear with his opening throw of 90.21 meters. The outstanding defending champion finally won with 90.54 meters.
He lacked the looseness and the power, Weber tried to explain the failure of his dream. "There were simply too many adjustment screws that didn't work together." Even the splendid run of the sprint relay, which he watched before his third attempt, could not tease his true potential out of him. "When the girls got their medals, I said to myself: Now more than ever. But nothing worked.” He went for it – with his head hanging low.
