In the end, it was millimeters that made the decision. For a long time at the same level as her opponent Mujinga Kambundji, Gina Lückenkemper literally threw herself at the finish line and fell.
The subsequent photo finish showed: Thanks to this effort, she made it across the finish line first. When the decision came, Gina Lückenkemper broke down crying. She was European champion in 100 meters.
Even today, more than three months later, Lückenkemper can hardly believe what happened at the European Athletics Championships in Munich. “It’s still amazing to think back to that summer. How incredibly tight it was,” she says. The German sprinter started the race as an outsider. “I flirted with the medal beforehand, but I couldn’t imagine that I would actually get it.”
There were two gold medals in Munich
For Lückenkemper, this year was the most successful of her career so far. Not only did she win gold in the 100-meter sprint, she also ran one of her best times of 10.99 seconds. It was the second time this year that she finished under eleven seconds. Before that she had succeeded at the German Championships in June, where she also won the title.
Shortly before the European Championships in Munich, Lückenkemper also won bronze with the German 4×100 meter women’s relay at the World Championships in Athletics in Eugene. She added one more thing to that in Munich: The sprinter not only won gold in the individual over 100 meters, but also in the relay.
And that despite the fact that she tore a capsule in her ankle during her daring fall in the individual, as it turned out after the tournament. In an interview with Sport1, she said that she would still have started the season with this diagnosis. “You can always somehow clench your teeth for a race.”
Lückenkemper was previously very happy to have started the 2022 season without an injury. Because in the past few years she had to struggle with several setbacks. Her silver success at the European Athletics Championships in 2018 was followed by a slump: at the World Championships in Doha the following year, she only came in a disappointing 20th place.
He then joined an elite training group in Florida to make a leap in performance under the guidance of noted trainer Lance Brauman. Because of the beginning of the pandemic, however, she soon found herself back in Germany. And the jump didn’t happen. Shortly before the Olympic Games in Tokyo, she tore a muscle fiber and was unable to compete.
Lückenkemper is currently training again in Florida
Mentally, too, she repeatedly describes the time after the 2018 European Championship success as stressful. In an interview with the Süddeutsche Zeitung in 2019, she said: “Everywhere you are expected to function. If I don’t run under eleven seconds, it’s immediately bad. That sucks immensely.”
Now, after the successful year 2022, that will not happen to her again. “I’ve learned from the past,” says Lückenkemper. “After the EM gold, I isolated myself to calm down. I take more time for myself.”
She is currently back in Florida preparing for the upcoming sprint season with Lance Brauman’s group. “The training is incredibly hard,” says the competitive athlete. “After that I’m no longer responsive, just fall on the sofa.”
I finally want to be in the finals in singles at world level. There’s still an outstanding bill.
Gina Lückenkemper, German professional track and field athlete
The hard work should pay off, Lückenkemper already has his sights set on the World Cup in 2023. “I finally want to be in the finals in singles at world level,” she says. “There’s still an outstanding bill.”
Because she is currently preparing for it, she was unable to travel to Germany this weekend to accept what will probably be her last title for 2022: In Berlin, Gina Lückenkemper was voted Sportswoman of the Year. “It’s an incredibly great honor, especially because it’s a public vote,” she says. Her parents received the prize, a golden bear, on their behalf.
In turn, Lückenkemper will soon be back in Berlin for sports: on February 10, she will be running at the Istaf Indoor in the Mercedes-Benz Arena.
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Source: Tagesspiegel
Brayden White, a veteran sports writer at Global Happening, brings his wealth of knowledge and expertise to the sports section. With over a decade of experience, he is committed to delivering high-quality coverage of the latest games and events.
