German shot putter Astrid Kumbernuss (© Getty Images)
She won everything that was possible. Germany’s Astrid Kumbernuss was 1996 Olympic Champion, a three-time World Championship gold medallist (1995, 97, 99), and the winner of the 1990 European title, and in the process took the women’s Shot Put into the limelight, attracting the interest of spectators, media and meeting directors, alike.
For almost 20 years, the Shot Put has been her life but now Kumbernuss has begun her final season in the sport.
“I will retire definitely after this year”, the 35-year-old shot putter confirmed. “It is time to say good bye, I don’t have to prove anything to anybody.”
Kumbernuss, who is 1.87m tall, was built into a world class athlete by her coach, Dieter Kollark, who is also her long time life partner and father to her, almost seven-year-old, son Philip.
18.55m the target
Though she was the world's number exponent of this discipline for many years, Kumbernuss now believes ‘enough is enough’, and so is planning her farewell-tour this year.
“Of course I will fight for the (World Championships) qualification mark of 18.55m,” which is in line with the German Athletic Federation (DLV) requirements. Athletes must twice better the distance to secure a team berth to Helsinki.
Even though, the Atlanta Olympic champion remains very consistent, she knows the task will not be easy. She will give her best of course but that last ten percent which is needed for an athlete to give 'everything without compromise' is now missing. But it is only the logical physical and mental result of a long and successful career at the very top.
“I listen to my body, I can feel signals which I can’t ignore,” confirmed Kumbernuss who lives and trains in Neubrandenburg.
A few injuries mean that to reach 20 metres is just not realistic, even 19m might be difficult for her. At the moment Kumbernuss isn’t even number one in Germany, as Nadine Kleinert, the Olympic silver medallist in Olympia, is now making the headlines.
“I am not worried about the 18.55m. I have time until the beginning of July to reach it.”
The tall athlete with an impressively slim body has already made a good opening to her final summer.
She opened with an 18.03m win in Neuwied-Engers on 14 May, and two days later moved to Rehlingen (16 May) with a promising 18.45m. What is more her series that day was very consistent, which points to a firm base of fitness and technique, and perhaps better distances to come (series - X ,18.06, 18.24, 18.27, 18.33, 18.45).
Talented next generation
Anyway Kumbernuss will remain happy whatever the outcome of her World Championship campaign, because she knows that the next German generation of Shot putters is already emerging.
“It is a good feeling to know that a few young girls are there who can be my successors. Shot Put in Germany will not die, when I will retire.”
One big hope is 21-year-old Petra Lammert, who won the Shot Put event in Halle at the weekend (21 May), reaching a new personal best mark of 18.99m.
The young athlete who comes from Stuttgart moved to Neubrandenburg after the European Indoor Championships in Madrid in March. There she had taken fourth place in a new indoor personal best of 18.61m. She is now also training with Dieter Kollark, and he is sure that Lammert will reach more than 19 metres in the coming weeks.
The next young athlete ready for a big breakthrough is Christina Schwanitz from Neckarsulm, a town which is situated near to Stuttgart, where the 19-year-old athlete trains. She has already reached an 18.84m PB this season (Rechberghausen 1 May).
So Kumbernuss has no need for feelings of melancholy as her career comes to a close. Even her third Olympic Games in Athens where she disappointingly failed to get past the qualification round is now just one small part of a much bigger picture of career success.
“I don’t regret anything,” is the athlete’s own verdict of her athletics life.
And anyway, she still has a few more months in which to compete, and one last chance for a major championship appearance.
Ursula Kaiser for the IAAF
