After injury shock in DM
Malaika Mihambo has to cancel the start of the World Cup
07/18/2023, 3:35 p.m
The biggest gold hope of the German Athletics Association does not travel to the World Championships. Malaika Mihambo has to withdraw from the title fights despite being in top form. The world champion of 2019 and 2022 is not fit enough in time after her injury at the DM.
Malaika Mihambo fought. For her dream of a gold hat trick, she toiled away in rehab, received treatment, threw herself into her rehabilitation training – but it wasn’t enough. Mihambo’s dream has burst, Germany’s biggest athletics star is not present at the World Cup in Budapest due to injury. “I’m very sad that the season isn’t going as planned and I can’t start at the World Championships in Budapest,” said Olympic champion Mihambo, who actually wanted to win her third long jump title in a row in Hungary: “I’m As you could see at the German championships, I was in top form going towards the World Cup. I would have liked to have shown that in Budapest.”
Mihambo’s cancellation is also a heavy blow for the German Athletics Association (DLV), which now has to travel to Budapest without its biggest figurehead. After all, who is going to get the medals now? Without Mihambo, the real contenders for great success are fewer and fewer.
At the German championships, Mihambo had shown that after a bumpy start to the season due to an infection in preparation, she was on the right track again. In Kassel, with 6.93 meters, she sent a strong signal to the international competition that she could win gold again after 2019 and 2022 – before Mihambo had to stop her fourth attempt due to pain in her left thigh.
Mihambo and Co. had hoped for a cramp or a strain, but the injury turned out to be a small torn muscle fiber. After that, Mihambo went to a rehabilitation center in Salzburg for treatment “to optimally accompany and train the healing process” – now the cancellation also out of consideration for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. “Now I have to be patient so that I can give my all again next year at the European Championships in Rome and the Olympic Games in Paris. That’s my focus,” said Mihambo.
After Eugene’s debacle a year ago, the DLV has to prepare for a very difficult World Cup again. “Having to do without Malaika at the World Cup in Budapest is a big blow for us,” said DLV head coach Annett Stein: “Nevertheless, we think the decision was absolutely right, because there is too much at stake with the 2024 Olympic Games. The whole team wishes Malaika a speedy recovery.”