German marathon record holder Irina Mikitenko will have her first start of the 2009 season next Sunday (01.03.) in Rome, where she is planning to run a halfmarathon. Her aim is a time of 70minutes. “For a personal best it is a little bit early now, because there are still 9 weeks time until the London marathon. And that’s the point where I have to be in top shape” she told the German press.
German race walker Melanie Seeger is pregnant and will deliver her first child in July, so that a participation in the events of the 2009 world championships will not be possible.
The 32-year old, who competed in every major competition since 1995 (excluding the 2000 Olympics) said that she is willing to continue her competitive career after giving birth: “I will start to train again in autumn. The European Championships 2010 in Barcelona are an aim for me. The biggest achievements of Melanie Seeger are 5th place in the 2004 Olympics, 7th place at the 2001 World Champs and 8th place at the 2003 Worlds (all at 20km race walking).
Father of the child is the Belgian Dries Vervecken, who works at the FU university Berlin.
The dead of German 800m-runner René Herms is now solved. On January 23rd, the autopsy report was published after the 26 year old former Olympian was found dead 2 weeks ago in his appartment. The report stated, that a double-sided, virus-related heart muscle inflammation was the reason of dead. A sudden cardiac dead ((SCD) was somewhat expected by the people in Herms’ environment, because he had a flu recently. However, the coroner told the media, that the SCD was caused by a herpes infection which dated back some time already. A varicella zoster or rubella might have caused the herpes infection.
Rene Herms will be entombed on January, 26th 10.00 in Pirna.
German Olympic marathoner Susanne Hahn is trying to qualify for the world championship marathon in Berlin 2009 by running a good time in the Düsseldorf marathon, which will be held on 3rd of May this year. She will go for a new personal best (old mark: 2:29:33) to do her best to secure a spot in the strong German women marathon team. “The preparations are running since a couple of days and I’m looking ahead confidently” she stated after the announcement.
German 10.000m European Champion Jan Fitschen is back on the running trail. After an injury break of almost half a year, that was marked by alternative training (aqua jogging, cycling,, strength training) he now made his first runs during a training camp in Chiclana (Spain). The healing process of his plantar tendon went pretty much as predicted and he is now preparing for the 2009 outdoor season.
While Fitschen could not run at the beginning of the new year 2009, he is now very happy that he can jog for a half hour. “I maintained the fitness of the heart and the cardiovascular system, now I have to increase the running specific load step-by step, because I don’t want to overstress the foot” said Fitschen.
At this time of the year it looks like Jan Fitschen is going to set the main focus on the 5000m for the season 2009. Of course the qualification for the home world championships in Berlin is the big aim for the 31-year old.
2004-Olympian René Herms was found dead in front of the computer at his home in Lohmen (Saxony). The dead body was found on Saturday morning by his mother-in-law after his wife was worried because he did not reply to any phone calls. René Herms only lived for 26 years.
Herms was 12-times German Champion and competed for the LG Braunschweig in the recent past. Herms was international recognised after his 2001 European Junior and 2003 European Under-23 victory at 800m. Herms also competed in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games and the World Championships 2003 (Paris) and 2005 (Helsinki). The 7th-place at the 2002 European Championship final in Munich was the biggest international success of the middle-distance runner. His personal best stands at 1:44,14 (from 2004).
The police started the investigations, even though there are no indications of suicide or third party fault. The day before the incident, Herms completed the normal training and talked with his coach about the coming indoor season. Herms had a flu in recent days and first reports suggest a heart illness as the cause of the death.
Rest In Peace René
On last Sunday, November 2nd Alexander Lubina stepped back from his career in competitive sports. The 28-year old that was troubled with several injuries in recent years said, he does not see a chance anymore to compete in next year’s “home” world championships in Berlin after another stress fracture which was discovered one week ahead of his planned start in the Frankfurt marathon.
In spring 2003 Alex suffered his first stress fracture and since this time he could not train continuously for one year. Altogether he suffered 5 or 6 stress fractures. Until recently, it looked as like he is on a good way back. In the Essen marathon he paced the leaders for 30km (at 2:18h pace) without bigger problems and was motivated to compete in the Frankfurt marathon. However, a MRI few days before the race showed another fracture.
The decision to quit his career was also influenced by an attractive job offer. Alex will still continue running, but on another level: “My second love is orienteering and maybe I can improve in this direction.”. Furthermore he wants to improve his marathon PB of 2:21:27 after 1-2 years recovery to a sub 2:20 time.
The PB’s of Alexander Lubina:
3000m 7:54 Rhede
5000m 13:38 Kassel
10000m 28:29,15 Camaiore, ITA
10km 29:02 Bad Liebenzell
Halfmarathon 64:20 Bad Liebenzell
With Melanie Kraus, Sabrina Mockenhaupt and Claudia Dreher, three of the strongest German marathon women are on the participants list of the Dresdner Kleinwort Frankfurt Marathon 2008 on October 26th.
Defending Champion and Beijing Olympian Melanie Kraus will return to Frankfurt after finishing 38th in the Olympic marathon. The 33-year old won last year’s Frankfurt marathon in 2:28:56h to upset the pre-race favourite Svetlana Zakharova (RUS) and to qualify for the Olympic Games 2008. This year she wants to go sub 2:30h again, which would mean that she would break the qualification time for the Berlin World Championships 2009. So far Melanie Kraus’s PB is 2:27:58 (2000, Berlin).
However, she will have tough competitors. Most of all this will probably be 10.000m-Olympian Sabrina Mockenhaupt, who will run her 2nd marathon. Mockenhaupt proved to be in a good shape this summer, improving both her 10.000m track time (with a 13th place finish at the Beijing Olympics 2008 in 31:14.21min; 15.08.08) and her 10K-road race time (2nd place to Irina Mikitenko in German 10K Road Race Championships; 31:50min; 13.09.08). In her marathon debut in 2007 in Cologne the 27-year old Mockenhaupt ran a 2:29:33h. On the fast course in Frankfurt she aims to improve this PR.
Competition for those two will also come from Claudia Dreher. Even if she is the oldest of the German trio with her 37 years, the chances are good that she will come out as the fastest women. Dreher had a really unlucky start of the 2008 season, when she fell hard in a training session and suffered several severe bruises and effusions in the knee and rip area. The dream of the Olympics was busted. Now that she has recovered from this incident she is focusing on the Berlin 2009 qualification. In 2006, Dreher took 4th place with 2:32:22h in Frankfurt and has a PR of 2:27:55h (1999, Hannover).
The international field will include Norway’s Kirsten Melkevik Otterbu (2nd in Frankfurt 2006 with 2:31:20h and 3rd in Frankfurt 2007 with a PR of 2:29:12h) as well as the Russian twins Olesya and Elena Nurgalieva (1st and 2nd in Frankfurt 2004 in 2:29:48h and 2:29:49h).
On Friday, 15th of August the track&field events are starting at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. The first medals will be given in the women’s 10.000m and Germany will be represented by Sabrina Mockenhaupt. Mockenhaupt arrived in Beijing on Monday (13.08) after a stay at the Team Germany training camp in Shibetsu (JAP). Her last test run – a 4.000m time trial – turned out to be excellent and she ran a personal best for this test. Altogether she ran 120km last week and after the successful test she is confident about delivering a good performance in the 10.000m.
If Mockenhaupt runs a perfect race it should not be impossible to place in the TOP 10.
marathonscene is wishing Sabrina all the Best
For the distance running events, the following athletes were selected:
women:
3000m steeple: Antje Möldner (SC Potsdam)
10.000m: Sabrina Mockenhaupt (Kölner Verein für Marathon)
Marathon: Irina Mikitenko (TV Wattenscheid 01), Melanie Kraus (TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen), Susanne Hahn (SV schlau.com Saar 05 Saarbrücken)
20 Km Race Walk: Sabine Zimmer (TV Wattenscheid 01), Melanie Seeger (SC Potsdam)
men:
1.500m: Carsten Schlangen (LG Nord Berlin)
20 Km Race Walk: André Höhne (SCC Berlin)
50 Km Race Walk: André Höhne
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Altogether 63 athletes will represent the German colours. The other qualifiers are:
women:
100m H: Carolin Nytra (Bremer LT)
High jump: Ariane Friedrich (LG Eintracht Frankfurt)
Pole Vault: Silke Spiegelburg (TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen), Carolin Hingst (USC Mainz), Anastasija Reiberger (ABC Ludwigshafen)
Shot put: Nadine Kleinert (SC Magdeburg), Christina Schwanitz (SV Neckarsulm), Denise Hinrichs (TV Wattenscheid 01)
Discus: Franka Dietzsch (SC Neubrandenburg)
Hammer: Betty Heidler, Kathrin Klaas (both LG Eintracht Frankfurt)
Javelin: Christina Obergföll (LG Offenburg), Steffi Nerius, Katharina Molitor (both TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen)
Heptathlon: Lilli Schwarzkopf (LC Paderborn), Jennifer Oeser (TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen), Sonja Kesselschläger (SC Neubrandenburg)
4x100m: Verena Sailer (LAC Quelle Fürth/München), Anne Möllinger (MTG Mannheim), Mareike Peters (TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen), Cathleen Tschirch (LG Weserbergland), Marion Wagner (USC Mainz), Katja Wakan (TV Wattenscheid 01)
4x400m: Jonna Tilgner (Bremer LT), Claudia Hoffmann (SC Potsdam), Sorina Nwachukwu (TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen), Florence Ekpo-Umoh (Erfurter LAC), Janin Lindenberg (LG Nike Berlin)
men:
100m: Tobias Unger (LAZ Salamander Kornwestheim/Ludwigsburg)
High jump: Eike Onnen (LG Hannover), Raul Spank (Dresdener SC 1898)
Pole vault: Danny Ecker (TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen), Raphael Holzdeppe (LAZ Zweibrücken), Tim Lobinger (LG Stadtwerke München)
Long jump: Sebastian Bayer (TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen)
Shot put: Ralf Bartels (SC Neubrandenburg), Peter Sack (LAZ Leipzig)
Discus: Robert Harting (SCC Berlin)
Hammer: Markus Esser (TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen)
Javelin: Stephan Steding (Hannover 96), Alexander Vieweg (SV schlau.com Saar 05 Saarbrücken)
Decathlon: Arthur Abele (SSV Ulm 1846), André Niklaus (LG Nike Berlin), Michael Schrader (LAV Bayer Uerdingen/Dormagen)
4x100m: Tobias Unger, Martin Keller (LAC Erdgas Chemnitz), Alexander Kosenkow, Ronny Ostwald (bothTV Wattenscheid 01), Marius Broening (LAC asics Tübingen), Till Helmke (TSV Friedberg-Fauerbach)
4x400m: Kamghe Gaba (LG Eintracht Frankfurt), Simon Kirch (SV schlau.com Saar 05 Saarbrücken), Florian Seitz (SCC Berlin), Bastian Swillims (TV Wattenscheid 01), Ruwen Faller (SC Magdeburg)