8th February 2012 09:22
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| German pole vault star Tim Lobinger has his eyes set on the European Athletics Championships in Helsinki this summer. |
The 40-year-old has excelled at the highest level for over two decades. His list of achievements includes medals at three consecutive editions of the European Athletics Championships – Budapest 1998, Munich 2002 and Gothenburg 2006, among a host of other accolades.
After missing out on a medal at Barcelona 2010, the legendary German is on a quest to secure a ticket for the 2012 edition of the championships in Helsinki this summer.
Given the number of pole vaulting talents that Germany possesses, he is well aware of the stiff competition that he will face within his country to claim tickets for Helsinki 2012.
“I’m sure Germany will send a very strong team to Helsinki for all of the events. In pole vault there are at least seven guys fighting for tickets to the major athletics events this year in Istanbul (World Indoor Championships), Helsinki (European Athletics Championships) and London (Olympic Games). This is a special year with three major championships and everybody wants to perform at the highest level on all the three occasions,” said Lobinger, who was in the Finnish city of Tampere to compete at an indoor meeting.
Lobinger belongs to a select category of athletes having cleared the magical height of 6.00m, in 1997. Although fans may feel that Lobinger has been around forever, he refuses to call himself a veteran.
“I have always had a huge passion for this great sport. There has been speculation if this is my last season, but I place no limits on myself. If the level of my results is high enough and if I’m still enjoying, why not go for another season? And I will definitely be fighting for tickets to Helsinki and London,” he added.
During his career Lobinger has competed in Helsinki on a number of occasions. He competed at the 1994 European Athletics Championships, and has some inside knowledge of the Helsinki Olympic Stadium.
“The Olympic Stadium is a challenging arena. On difficult days, swirling wind makes the competition open for surprises. On good days, the conditions can be perfect and people will see very high quality competitions. On both occasions the crowd will love it,” Lobinger explained.
Lobinger’s countrymen Malte Mohr and Fabian Schulze both harbour similar ambitions of success this summer. Mohr, a European indoor silver medalist and one of the best jumpers in the world last year, is looking forward to add a major title to his flourishing career this year.
“This year offers the top athletes a historical chance to win three championship medals. That would be a dream come true for any athlete. I’m really looking forward to competing in all three championships.
“For me, personally, the European Athletics Championships in Helsinki might offer the best chance for taking the gold, but first I have to make it to the German team, which won’t be easy. We have a number of good pole vaulters and I am looking forward to the competition,” said Mohr.
Schulze, a two-time medallist at the European junior championships, made his European championships debut at Barcelona 2010, and is ready to take it to another level in Helsinki.
“This is a very important season for me. I want to be consistent and have my best performances in Helsinki and in London. The European Athletics Championships will be only six weeks prior to the Olympics, so it is clear that all the jumpers will be in good shape for Helsinki, which will make it a tough competition,” said Schulze.
“Anyway, we Germans are ready to put up a good show in Helsinki, and we are planning to take a lot of medals, too,” Schulze concluded with a smile.
For more information on Helsinki 2012 visit the official event website http://www.helsinki2012.fi/en