Update
Grandiose comeback after protest
Gesa Krause wins gold medal after pregnancy
09.06.2024, 22:38
What an achievement: Six years after her European Championship title in Berlin, Gesa Krause is back on the podium at the European Championships. In Rome, after her maternity leave, she first ran to silver – only to celebrate gold shortly afterwards after the first-place finisher was disqualified.
Gesa Felicitas Krause put her hands on her knees, then a smile crossed her face: The German steeplechase runner crowned her championship comeback after her maternity leave with a fantastic 3000 meter race – and even won the gold medal in the end. The top German athlete came second at the championships in Rome in 9:18.06 minutes, but was subsequently moved up to first place. The Frenchwoman Alice Finot (9:16.22) stepped on a track marker twice at the last water jump. A protest by the German Athletics Association (DLV) was successful.
For Krause, it is the fourth European Championship medal after her triumphs in 2016 and 2018 and bronze in 2012. According to the new ranking, Elizabeth Bird (Great Britain/9:18.39) secured second place ahead of Romanian Stella Rutto (9:22.36). Lea Meyer, who surprisingly came second in Munich two years ago, in eighth place (9:27.85) and Krause’s club colleague Olivia Gürth from Trier (9:31.98) in tenth place rounded off the strong German result.
“I was still missing a silver medal in my collection. Given my history, this is like a victory for me, even though gold was so close today. It was the best year of my life and now I’m proud of how I ran,” Krause said on the ARD microphone when she was still expecting silver. Expert Frank Busemann said Krause’s medal was “amazing.”
After Amanal Petros won the bronze medal in the half marathon and the DLV teams won silver (women) and bronze (men) over the half marathon distance, the championships gradually picked up speed from a German perspective. Before the third day of competition, the German Athletics Association had only been able to celebrate a medal at the Italian Festival in Rome thanks to Yemisi Ogunleye’s bronze in the shot put.
Before her return to the big stage, she had already proven that “Mama Krause” is a force to be reckoned with. In her first competition after the birth of her daughter Lola last year, the two-time World Championship bronze medalist immediately cracked the standard for the Summer Olympics in Paris – her main goal this year. She traveled to Rome as the fastest of the year, but she didn’t want to put herself under pressure. “Everyone would like to hear that Gesa Krause has become a mother and is back – and will become European champion as if she had never been away. That sounds great to me too,” but it’s not that simple. But she made it look easy.
Hammer thrower Hummel sets record
In the race, the 31-year-old once again demonstrated her tactical skills, always staying close to the leaders without wasting any energy as a pacemaker. She kept up with the now higher pace. In the end, only Finot was faster, making an inimitable final sprint with a distorted face – and was disqualified shortly afterwards. Krause’s daughter and her partner watched the strong performance from the sofa at home.
In the morning, Petros had also had his eye on gold. He ran into the Olympic Stadium in second place, but then got lost on a lane barrier and had to let not only the eventual European champion Yemaneberhan Crippa, but also his compatriot Pietro Riva go. “We pushed each other as a team. It was fantastic. I was lacking a bit of speed at the end,” said Petros, who came in an ungrateful fourth place in the marathon in Munich two years ago, on ARD.
Meanwhile, Germany’s hammer thrower Merlin Hummel set a European U23 best, but missed out on the first German European Championship medal in 18 years with 79.25 m. 200 m sprinter Joshua Hartmann, on the other hand, can hope for a podium finish, having underlined his ambitions with victory in the semi-final in 20.38 seconds. The decision will be made on Monday.