It is the day of the competition in Oslo, and everything is a little bit different. “It feels very strange”, reports Léa Sprunger (30) on Wednesday via telephone from the Norwegian capital. There, the European champion over 400 m hurdles in the new season. Actually, a Diamond-League-Meeting would have been on the program, but the Bislett Games come on Thursday evening (20 h, SRF 2 live) in a different way. “The Hotel, for example, is almost empty,” said Sprunger.
Because of the Corona pandemic, only a few athletes are allowed to be a part of the competitions will be held as a long-Distance duel via TV, viewers are anyway not there. The Norwegian local hero Karsten Warholm (24) is, for example, run without an opponent, but try to beat the world record in the 300 m hurdles.
About the same unconventional distance Sprunger goes to the Start, you get the Dane, Sara Slott Pedersen (33) and the Norwegian Amalie Iuel (26) at least two opponents of flesh and blood on the page provided. “I’m very excited,” she says on the eve. “It feels like a Competition. I have, for example, the start number with my name, that was as it normally is in a Diamond League Meeting. But in the stadium it will be strange, I think.”
That it is not too normal, but it also creates yourself. Sprunger has come up with something, especially technology-foxes will delight: The 1.83 m wide Romande wants to run up to the third hurdle in the 13-rhythm. Means: For the path between the hurdles, you will need only 13 steps. Normal 15 or 16, they would be the first woman to succeed in the Competition. For this you would need to make 2.48 m wide steps! “I’m going to have to see what it costs me energy,” she says. You and your Trainer Laurent Meuwly (45) have played a long time with the thought. “But we never had time. Who knows, maybe it is something that has proven itself. With the Olympic-shift, we have gained time. Time, we can try something.”
While Sprunger and Selina Büchel (28), which starts in Oslo over 600 m, so already in attack mode, leave others a little more leisurely. Mujinga Kambundji (27) is currently training at home in Bern, is on 9. July, at the “Inspirational Games”, the replacement for the world-class Zurich to compete, and then at the 24. July, at the Citius Meeting in Bern. For hurdles-man Kariem Hussein (31) is in Bern (about 400 m flat), the first use of the year. Hurdles Sprinter Jason Joseph (21) has been announced there before, he wants to 3 am. July run in Lucerne. Already the first use behind long-man, Tadesse Abraham (37), which took place on Wednesday in Geneva in the 1500 m under the feet of range. On Saturday already, among other things, Noemi Zbären (26), Angelica Moser (22), Géraldine Ruckstuhl (22) or Silvan Wicki (25) start in Langenthal.
a Very relaxed Alex Wilson (29) with the pandemic season cancellation. The Basel is at home with his family and is in addition to the “world-class”-long-distance-duel in the 200-meter run at the Letzigrund in Zurich on 9. July ride this year, no competitions.
