Malaika Michambo is the world champion long jumper and took gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with a 7.00m in her last attempt. After the world championships, she gave her critical comments on the direction of sports funding. At these competitions, German track and field athletes showed historically low results. Bet on track and field events with bonuses on this betting bonuses page and cheer on your favorite athletes.
“If you are already good, you are also well promoted. But as long as you are on the way there, it is difficult,” the Olympic champion told the Sport-Informations-Dienst (SID) in Mannheim on Thursday.
International connection currently missing
“Many amateur athletes have to compete with professional athletes. That doesn’t happen at the same level,” added Mihambo, who successfully defended her world championship title in Eugene, Oregon, on Sunday.
The international connection of German athletics does not exist “at the moment. There is a lot of catching up to do,” the 28-year-old European champion also said.
So, “breadth in sport” also needs to be promoted, Mihambo affirmed, “Only when there is a broad base can a broad top grow out of it. These things are very important.” Diese Dinge sind sehr wichtig.”
Lueckenkemper criticizes society’s expectations
Gina Luckenkemper is a track and field athlete from Germany who specializes in short-distance running. She won a silver medal at the 2018 European Championships in the 100 meters and twice took a bronze medal at the 2016 European Championships in the 200 meters and the 4×100 meter relay, three-time German champion (2016-2018), and two-time German indoor champion (2017), a participant in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. She already brought Germany a second medal, winning bronze as part of the 4x100m relay team at the championships in the United States, previously reasoned similarly to Michambo.
“Our society expects semi-pros to be able to keep up with the full pros, not even beat them,” the 25-year-old wrote on Instagram on Wednesday, saying the support system is “more of a reward system.”
The German team closed the World Championships, which ended on Sunday, with a disastrous result. Besides Mihambo and the relay team, the German Athletics Association (DLV) recorded only five other placements among the top 8.
