For the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo: "Very small mouse" gives Germany great hopes
Aileen Kuhn is keen to throw far in the World Cup final.
(Photo: IMAGO/Eibner)
The German junior athletes sweep the U23 European Championships, and some of the talented athletes are now competing again at the World Championships in Tokyo. Hammer thrower Aileen Kuhn confidently advances to the final. She then talks about why she doesn't want to hide.
This entry into the women's hammer throw final at the World Championships was refreshing. "When I was nominated for the World Championships, I thought I was such a small mouse," said U23 European Champion Aileen Kuhn. "I thought World Championships, World Championships, I'm 21, I'm still so small. But I'm actually not at all. I've shown what I'm capable of this year."
With a throw of 70.85 meters, Kuhn qualified for the final on Monday (2 p.m. CEST/ARD) in eleventh place, one of the youngest throwers in the field. This marks the first time since Kathrin Klaas at the 2017 World Championships in London that a German athlete is in contention for a medal. "First and foremost, I want to have fun and challenge my U23 record," said the Frankfurt native at the track and field championships in Tokyo. Her personal best is 72.53 meters, set during her triumph at the U23 European Championships in Bergen, Norway.
Kuhn was part of the promising junior team that celebrated a record haul with 26 medals (5 gold, 9 silver, 12 bronze). "Many people think I have to hide, but that's not true. You don't have to hide, you can show what you can do," said Kuhn, who was close to tears of joy in an ARD interview after successfully qualifying: "The throws weren't perfect, there's definitely more in it."
Men
100 meters: Owen Ansah (Hamburger SV), Lucas Ansah-Peprah (Hamburger SV) 400 meters: Jean Paul Bredau (VfL Wolfsburg) 4x100 meters: Deniz Almas (LG Olympia Dortmund), Owen Ansah (Hamburger SV), Lucas Ansah-Peprah (Hamburger SV), Heiko Gussmann (Sprintteam Wetzlar), Marvin Schulte (ASV Cologne), Julian Wagner (TV Wattenscheid 01) 4x400 meters mixed: Emil Agyekum (SCC Berlin), Florian Kroll (LG Osnabrück), Manuel Sanders (TV Wattenscheid 01) 800 meters: Alexander Stepanov (VfL Sindelfingen) 1500 meters: Robert Farken (SG Motor Gohlis-Nord Leipzig) 5000 meters: Mohamed Abdilaahi (Cologne Athletics), Florian Bremm (LSC Höchstadt/Aisch) 10,000 meters: Aaron Bienenfeld (Düsseldorf Athletics) Marathon: Amanal Petros (Hannover 96), Richard Ringer (LC Rehlingen) 20 kilometer walk: Leo Köpp (LG Nord Berlin), Christopher Linke (SC Potsdam) 35 kilometer walk: Johannes Frenzl (Eintracht Frankfurt), Jonathan Hilbert (LG Ohra Energie), Christopher Linke (SC Potsdam) 110 meter hurdles: Gregory Minoué (TV Kalkum-Wittlaer), Manuel Mordi (Hamburger SV) 400 meter hurdles: Joshua Abuaku (Eintracht Frankfurt), Emil Agyekum (SCC Berlin), Owe Fischer-Breiholz (Königsteiner LV) 3000 meter steeplechase: Karl Bebendorf (Dresdner SC 1898), Niklas Buchholz (LSC Höchstadt/Aisch), Frederik Ruppert (LAV Stadtwerke Tübingen) High jump: Tobias Potye (Cologne Athletics) Pole vault: Torben Blech (TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen), Bo Kanda Lita Baehre (Düsseldorf Athletics), Oleg Zernikel (ASV Landau) Long jump: Simon Batz (MTG Mannheim) Triple jump: Max Heß (LAC Erdgas Chemnitz) Discus throw: Henrik Janssen (SC Magdeburg), Mika Sosna (TSG Bergedorf), Steven Richter (LV 90 Erzgebirge) Hammer throw: Merlin Hummel (LG Stadtwerke München) Javelin throw: Julian Weber (USC Mainz) Decathlon: Niklas Kaul (USC Mainz), Leo Neugebauer (VfB Stuttgart), Till Steinforth (SV Halle)
Women
100 meters: Gina Lückenkemper (SCC Berlin), Lisa Mayer (Sprintteam Wetzlar), Sina Mayer (LAZ Zweibrücken) 200 meters: Sophia Junk (LG Rhein-Wied), Jessica-Bianca Wessolly (VfL Sindelfingen) 4x100 meters: Jolina Ernst (TV Wattenscheid 01), Rebekka Haase (Sprintteam Wetzlar), Sophia Junk (LG Rhein-Wied), Gina Lückenkemper (SCC Berlin), Lisa Mayer (Sprintteam Wetzlar), Sina Mayer (LAZ Zweibrücken) 4x400 meters: Eileen Demes (TV 1861 Neu-Isenburg), Annkathrin Hoven (TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen), Jana Lakner (LG Telis Finanz Regensburg), Elisa Lechleitner (LAZ Ludwigsburg), Johanna Martin (1. LAV Rostock), Skadi Schier (SCC Berlin) 4x400 meters Mixed: Jana Lakner (LG Telis Finanz Regensburg), Elisa Lechleitner (LAZ Ludwigsburg), Johanna Martin (1. LAV Rostock) 800 meters: Smilla Kolbe (Eintracht Frankfurt), Majtie Kolberg (LG Kreis Ahrweiler) 1500 meters: Jolanda Kallabis (FT 1844 Freiburg), Nele Weßel (TV Waldstraße Wiesbaden) 5000 meters: Elena Burkard (LG farbtex Nordschwarzwald), Lea Meyer (VfL Löningen) 10,000 meters: Eva Dieterich (LAV Stadtwerke Tübingen) 400 meters hurdles: Eileen Demes (TV 1861 Neu-Isenburg), Elena Kelety (Frankfurt Athletics) 3000 meters steeplechase: Olivia Gürth (New Year's Eve Run Trier), Gesa Krause (New Year's Eve Run Trier), Lea Meyer (VfL Löningen) High jump: Christina Honsel (TV Wattenscheid 01), Imke Onnen (Cologne Athletics) Long jump: Malaika Mihambo (LG Kurpfalz) Triple jump: Caroline Joyeux (LG Nord Berlin), Jessie Maduka (Cologne Athletics) Shot put: Alina Kenzel (VfB Stuttgart), Katharina Maisch (LV 90 Erzgebirge), Yemisi Ogunleye (MTG Mannheim) Discus throw: Shanice Craft (SV Halle), Kristin Pudenz (OSC Potsdam), Marike Steinacker (TSV Bayer Leverkusen) Hammer throw: Aileen Kuhn (Eintracht Frankfurt), Samantha Borutta (Eintracht Frankfurt) Heptathlon: Vanessa Grimm (Königsteiner LV), Sandrina Sprengel (LG Steinlach-Zollern)
In addition to Kuhn, two other U23 European champions are part of the German squad for Tokyo: discus thrower Steven Richter even led a DLV triple triumph in Bergen, and silver medalist Mika Sosna is also competing in Japan. However, their competitions won't take place until next weekend, with the qualification on Saturday (September 21, 2:00 a.m. and 3:35 a.m. CEST), followed by the final on the final day of the World Championships at 1:10 p.m. CEST.
This Monday, just 90 minutes before Aileen Kuhn's hammer throw final, Owe Fischer-Breiholz will also be competing. The 21-year-old has risen to the top of the world in the 400-meter hurdles this season, celebrating a dominant victory at the U23 European Championships with a championship record of 48.01 seconds. The previous record was held by Karsten Warholm – now a world record holder, Olympic champion, three-time world champion, and once again one of the favorites in Tokyo as the defending champion.
Source: ntv.de, tsi/dpa
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