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Teag Indoor Erfurt

Schumann could not respond to high hopes

2002-02-04

Nils Schumann is back – though not at his best. His presence was still enough to enthuse about 2000 spectators before the start of the Teag Indoor meeting in Schumann’s hometown Erfurt. The Olympic Champions was celebrated during a lap of honour with pictures of his Sydney race on the screen. It was his first race in this meeting after his Olympic gold. But at the end there was not much to celebrate for Nils Schumann, who finished a disappointing sixth in the 1000 m race. The 23-year-old clocked 2:21,20 minutes in what was thought to be the local highlight at the end of the meeting. Additionally the race was won by national rival Wolfram Müller in 2:19,90 minutes. Müller is from Prina and belongs to a rival training group.

“I caught a bronchitis by the middle of December and lost three weeks of training”, Schumann explained. “I am don’t feel fully fit yet, but still I am very disappointed with my race. I am even more disappointed to have let down the spectators”, Schumann said after his season’s debut. He did not feel comfortable during the race “It was to slow, so there was a big group running together. And I felt being obstructed.” Immediately after the race Schumann was so disappointed that he had a harsh argument with Franek Haschke, a runner from Müller’s group by whom he felt obstructed. He even pushed Haschke away. “I am sorry for this. It was simply because I was so disappointed with my performance. I apologised.” Schumann will now have a word with his coach Dieter Hermann about the next races, but still plans to stick to his plan. He intends to run in Stuttgart on Sunday and wants to run in the national and European Championships. “But for Vienna I will of course need a much better form than today.”

Another Olympic Champion from Germany had a bad start into the season. Due to various health problems Heike Drechsler could not train properly. So she finished only fourth in a moderate long jump competition. With 6,23 m Drechsler was 0,45 m short of the winner, Ludmila Galkina (Russia). And there could be even more blows for the German team for Vienna. In the pole vault Michael Stolle could not have a single attempt because of a foot injury. Still Tim Lobinger did well and shared the win with Russlan Yeremenko (Russia). Both cleared 5,80 m in their second attempts.

Grit Breuer feels uncomfortable because of shingles. “The doctor left it up to me whether to run or not. As I have no pain I ran. And under these circumstances I can be very happy with the result”, Breuer said. The European Champion from Budapest 1998 was the only women to run sub 52 seconds in the 400 m (51,71). But as Breuer does not feel fully fit it is very doubtful that she will continue her season until Vienna.

While the Germans are suffering, for Austria things look bright. The Championships in Vienna only one month away, Austria has a new medal prospect. Elmar Lichtenegger won the 60 m hurdles in Erfurt in a new personal best of 7,51 seconds. Colin Jackson (7,58) this time had no chance of winning, while at least Germany’s Mike Fenner proved that he is well on the way back to his best form. Running close to Jackson to third place in 7,61 he beat the German qualifying time for Vienna. And there might be another Austrian with a chance in Vienna: Karin Mayr came in third in the 60 m race, clocking 7,16. Chioma Ajunwa (Nigeria) won the event in 7,13. The men’s sprint winner was Gennadiy Chernovol (Kazachstan) with 6,57. And running from the front British 400 m runner Daniel Caines produced a good 46,68.

Despite of his bad run there was a reason why Nils Schumann was more than welcome in Erfurt this year. At the end of last year’s season he had decided to turn back the clock. After his Olympic triumph he had changed his club and because of this had to change his coach as well. So his father Peter took over for last season. Having run for LG Nike Berlin for one year, he now opened his season, wearing the vest of his old club again: SV Creaton Großengottern, which is near Erfurt. “I am happy that after Edmonton I could start to work with Dieter Hermann again”, Nils Schumann said. It was a reason for the 800-m-runner to join Hermann’s club in Großengottern again.

Results: 60 m: 1. Gennadiy Chernovol KAZ 6,57, 2. Freddy Mayola CUB 6,64, 3. Darvis Patton USA 6,69. 200 m: 1. Marcin Urbas POL 21,09, 2. Steffen Otto GER 21,19, 3. Mathias Mertens GER 21,74 400 m (A and B race): 1. Daniel Caines GBR 46,68, 2. Bastian Swillims GER 46,70, 3. Lars Figura GER 47,75. 1000 m: 1. Wolfram Müller GER 2:19,90, 2. Glody Dube BOT 2:20,25, 3. Arnoud Okken NED 2:20,31, 6. Nils Schumann GER 2:21,20. 3000 m: 1. Mario Kröckert GER 7:57,58, 2. Christian Knoblich GER 8:04,98, 3. Michael May GER 8:05,50. 60 m h: 1. Elmar Lichtenegger AUT 7,51, 2. Colin Jackson GBR 7,58, 3. Mike Fenner GER 7,61. LJ: 1. Younés Moudrik MAR 8,02, 2. Kenta Bell USA 7,94, 3. Schahriar Bigdeli GER 7,88. PV: 1. Russlan Yeremenko UKR 5,80 and Tim Lobinger GER 5,80, 3. Lars Börgeling GER 5,70. SP: 1. Milan Haborak SVK 20,22, 2. Kevin Toth USA 19,32, 3. Detlef Bock GER 19,28.

Women: 60 m: 1. Chioma Ajunwa NGR 7,13, 2. Kelli White USA 7,14, 3. Karin Mayr AUT 7,16. 400 m (A and B Race): 1. Grit Breuer GER 51,71, 2. Claudia Marx GER 52,47, 3. Sandie Richards JAM 52,91. 800 m: 1. Renata Hoppova CZE 2:04,21, 2. Anja Knippel GER 2:04,49, 3. Tatyana Rodionova RUS 2:04,68. 60 m h : 1. Lacena Golding-Clarke JAM 7,91, 2. Yahumara Neyra CUB 8,05, 3. Kimberley Carson USA 8,08. LJ: 1. Ludmila Galkina RUS 6,68, 2. Y. Shekhovtsova UKR 6,48, 3. Chioma Ajunwa NGR 6,42, 4. Heike Drechsler GER 6,23.