The Danish relay women ran their best time this year on Tuesday, but still missed the EC final.
There will be no EC final place for the Danish relay women in this round.
The national team in 4×100 meters finished eighth out of eight in Tuesday’s preliminary round at the European Championships in Rome – but that was not because they had a long time to prepare together.
At the very last moment, Klara Loessl, who was originally intended for a role as a reserve, was sent directly onto the track and into action together with Mette Graversgaard, Mathilde Kramer and Astrid Glenner-Frandsen.
A special way to get in, says Klara Loessl.
– I have never tried that before. I had been involved in the entire warm-up because I had the opportunity to enter.
– I had then reached the point where I could see that I had to take off the spiked shoes and that it was all working. But then it was suddenly shouted: “You must run”. Then I had to go down and do a shift with Mette, and then the adrenaline just ran. I got really nervous because I hadn’t prepared for it, she says.
Elite manager in Danish Athletics, Mikkel Larsen, explains that at the end of the warm-up, doubts arose as to whether Line Jensen, who was originally supposed to run, was able to complete the 100 meters.
That’s why Klara Loessl was called in right after the warm-up.
– Fortunately, the chosen line-up was one of the line-ups we already had in mind, so it wasn’t immediately something that changed the big picture. We just have to recognize that the other countries were better today, says Mikkel Larsen.
Satisfied with the result
The substitution was made for UG, but still it did not result in a place in the finals.
Despite that, Klara Loessl and the rest of the Danish relay women are quite satisfied.
– We did what we could. I don’t think we made any huge mistakes. That’s what we had right now, says Astrid Glenner-Frandsen.
The relay women also ran their best time this year, and that is a big step in the right direction, says Astrid Glenner-Frandsen.
– It is still something from the level we have been at and where we would like to be.
– We have also had all the odds against us this year. But we have kept a cool head, and we can be proud, says Mathilde Kramer.
