Gold coup for Klosterhalfen!

Long-distance runner brings 5000-meter victory at European Athletics Championships

Created: 08/19/2022, 05:12

By: Kai Hartwig

Konstanze Klosterhalfen celebrates her victory in the 5000 meter race.

© Angelika Warmuth/dpa

Long-distance runner Konstanze Klosterhalfen secured the European title over 5000 meters in Munich.

In the Olympic Stadium, she doesn't give the competition a chance.

Munich – Konstanze Klosterhalfen won gold over 5000 meters in the final at the European Championships in Athletics in Munich.

She won ahead of the Turkish 10,000 meter European champion Yasemin Can and the British Eilish McColgan.

European Championships, athletics: Konstanze Klosterhalfen wins EM gold over 5000 meters

For the German record holder it was the first major title of her career.

After 14:34.20 minutes, the 25-year-old was the first runner to cross the finish line in her triumph run late Thursday evening.

"This is the most beautiful moment in my life," said Klosterhalfen afterwards in the ARD interview.

Just three days earlier she had been struggling a bit.

In the 10,000 meter distance, the Leverkusen native only managed fourth place.

In her first double start in a big title fight, it was enough to get a happy ending over half the distance.

The other German finalists in the 5000 meter race played no role in the battle for the medals.

Sara Benfares came in twelfth place.

Alina Reh had to give up.

After World Cup disappointment: Klosterhalfen wins first major title in Munich

Klosterhalfen had missed the final over 5000 meters at the World Cup in Eugene in her adopted home, weakened by the consequences of a corona infection.

The exceptional runner had already "imagined this performance differently".

Finally, after the World Championships at the Diamond League meeting in Chorzow/Poland, she showed good running performance again and finished seventh over 3000 meters.

"Purely in terms of feeling, it was a clear difference to Eugene, because I felt that I was competitive again," she said and was happy to have "regained his own racing feeling".

Klosterhalfen has been training in Portland, Oregon, USA for three years and is the German record holder for a mile, 3,000, 5,000 and 10,000 meters.

(kh with dpa)