After EM silver in bouldering, Hannah Meul is one of the favorites in her final climbing competition on Wednesday. The weather could cause problems for the Rhinelander. She prefers not to bathe.
Despite the promising start with a water fight, climber Hannah Meul decided not to have a big EM party. The Rhinelander prefers to use the time before her final competition on Wednesday to regenerate her battered hands. "Let your skin grow" is the motto of the 21-year-old Frechenerin, who brought the packed witch's cauldron on Munich's Königsplatz to rage on Sunday evening. The silver coup in bouldering should only have been the start of a grandiose EM.
Exhausted, Meul dragged herself through the interview zone after the biggest success of her career. The mammoth program of four days of competition has left its mark and overstrained the hands. "I've lost a lot of skin. There are different climbing creams that I'm applying now," Meul explained, showing her bloody, magnesium-covered fingers.
Due to the heat in Munich, the athletes lose more skin than usual. The danger of slipping on the narrow handles increases. "I can't let them soak too much, so going swimming won't do anything. And don't touch climbing holds either," said Meul, laughing, about her hand care in the coming days.
On Wednesday, Germany's best climber will enter the impressive setting at Munich's Königsplatz for the last time in the combined event, a mix of lead and bouldering. The happy nature just wants to enjoy her last appearance in front of 5000 fans. "It was my secret wish to climb into all the finals at the European Championships and I'm glad I achieved that. I didn't even dare to say it for myself. But now I can say it. And I'll give it again everything," promised Meul.
The audience will once again loudly spur their darling on. Like on Sunday, when the folk festival atmosphere in the city center released the last reserves of strength in Meul. Sometimes the student of social work pulled herself up the cliff by her fingertips, sometimes she swung upside down from hold to hold. "I'm so thankful for this huge party. It gave me wings," said the EM second.
The athlete from the DAV Rhineland-Cologne section loves her sport like no other. As soon as the new Vice European Champion talks about climbing, she beams. At the age of seven, the German hung on a steep wall for the first time, and four years later her career aspirations were clear. "When I was eleven, I wrote an essay in English that I wanted to become a professional climber," said the 21-year-old. Ten years later, Meul is more than that. She's one of the best.
She still didn't really understand the silver coup, she admitted, lost in thought. But who knows, maybe the radiant woman will develop into a party beast. National coach Ingo Filzwieser, who called for a party on Sunday, would be happy. But first of all it means for Meul: "Sleep early, sleep late and eat well".
