Female footwear competition is won by Julian Weber
The ISTAF event, held this afternoon in Berlin's Olympic Stadium, served as a preview for the World Championships in Tokyo in September. With over 28,500 fans in attendance, the event featured top performances by track and field athletes from 42 nations.
One of the standout performances came from Julian Weber, who leads the world rankings in javelin throw. Weber, the European javelin throw champion, won the ISTAF event for the fourth consecutive time with a winning throw of 84.03 meters. In an interesting twist, Weber used his wife's smaller-sized spikes for training in Turkey, a pair that he borrowed from Mirja Lukas from Leverkusen.
Gina Lückenkemper put in a strong performance in the 100m, coming in second with a season best. Olympic champion Yemisi Ogunleye came in second in the shot put, while Emil Agyekum came in second in the men's 400m hurdles with a personal best. Lea Meyer and Jolanda Kallabis won the ISTAF double over the shortened 2000m hurdles with personal bests.
Marlene Meier also set a season best in the 100m hurdles, and Majtie Kolberg came in third in the 800m. Eileen Demes won the 400m hurdles with a personal best and a World Championships norm. Jana Becker also set a personal best in the 800m, coming in fourth.
The event was not just a showcase for athletic prowess, but also a platform for local activism. The citizens' initiative "Die Spiele für Berlin" (The Games for Berlin) was notably active in collecting signatures to support a bid to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2036, 2040, or 2044. The initiative aims to gather 20,000 signatures from Berliners over the next six months.
Berlin remains one of the main German cities expressing clear intention to lead an Olympic bid, alongside Hamburg, Munich, and the Rhine-Ruhr region. Kai Wegner, the governing mayor of Berlin, attended the event and expressed his desire for Berlin to host the Olympic Games. This support at local leadership levels indicates political will despite recent challenges such as ISTAF’s ticket sales downturn this year.
While concrete official Olympic bid submission dates or IOC approval remain to be finalized, Germany is currently drafting a consensus strategy regarding the Olympic bid that includes Berlin as a strong contender. This suggests Berlin's bid is progressing but is part of a coordinated national approach rather than a finalized independent bid.
In summary, Berlin’s Olympic bid is progressing with public engagement and political support. The ISTAF event provided a platform for popular activism and strategic discussions, energizing the bid. However, it remains in an active planning and consensus-building phase.
Sports enthusiasts eagerly await the World Championships in Tokyo, following the impressive performances at the ISTAF event in Berlin. The Olympic bid in Berlin is advancing, with the event serving as a platform for local activism and strategic discussions towards hosting the games in 2036, 2040, or 2044.
