PotassiumOnstanze Klosterhalfen had to sit on the floor of the Olympic Stadium catacombs, completely exhausted-shortly after finishing eighth in the 10,000 meters, the media marathon was interrupted in tears. The 24-year-old said: “I am very tired and cold. I am very grateful to stand here and thank everyone who brought me here.” Then her voice broke.
At 31:01.97 minutes, in a tough game, Klosterhafen was only 26% higher than the German record they set in Austin/Texas at the end of February-in the end they had no chance to compete for a medal. The Olympic champion is Sifan Hassan from the Netherlands. He won the gold medal over 5000 meters and the gold medal over 1500 meters with 29:55.32 points. The silver medal came from Kalkidan Gezahegne (29: 56.18) from Bahrain, while the world record holder Letesenbet Gidey from Ethiopia won the bronze medal (30: 01.72).
Nevertheless, Klosterhafen, who started with Bayer Leverkusen and trained in the United States, feels very calm about himself. Due to pelvic pressure syndrome, the 24-year-old had to sit outside for longer this year. “This season is a challenge,” Klosterhafen said before they appeared at the Olympic Stadium. After the game, she said: “It’s really weird. I think my feeling has changed three times after the finish line and I can rethink at the time. We think the top 8 is really great. It makes me very proud and Happy.”
“And at some point I caught a cold”
After about a third of the game, a leading group of 15 people was formed, and Klosterhalfen stayed in the end. When the world record holder Gidi picked up his pace at the top later, a huge gap that could not be narrowed immediately appeared. All hopes for medals have long been dashed. “The weather is very hot, but also very depressing. At some point, I caught a cold,” Klosterhafen said. “But I’m glad I did this. Eight weeks of training will only make me more motivated.”
Due to the problems of this season, she did not think of precious metals anyway. The decision to start the long distance was purely out of common sense, because unlike 1500 meters or 5000 meters, she was not eligible to participate in the finals there. Preserving strength is the top priority for the fourth place above 5,000 meters in the World Cup.
She now uses the Olympic final as the start signal for the rest of the season, in which Klosterhafen still hopes to participate in a few games. At the latest in Paris in 2024, she wants to participate in the medal war: “The eighth place is not my requirement. After only eight weeks of training, I can reach the places I have been to before, which does not seem to me completely. Utopia.”
