"Ripped Off His Dream" - Marathon Star Hendrik Pfeiffer Slams DLV for Snub at World Championships
World Championship Marathon Runners Dispute – Hendrik Pfeiffer Accused of Fraud during Competition
By Anja Rau
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World Championships dreams dashed as Hendrik Pfeiffer, top-ranking marathon runner, gets left in the cold by the German Athletics Federation (DLV). The DLV only nominates two runners, Amanal Petros and Richard Ringer, leaving one spot unfilled. Pfeiffer, third best available, feels betrayed by promises broken and competence questioned.
The DLV's Misstep
Germany's marathon ace, Hendrik Pfeiffer, is left disheartened as the DLV overlooks him for the World Championships in Tokyo (13th to 21st September). Instead of nurturing three representatives, the federation only sends Petros and Ringer, leaving a spot empty. Pfeiffer, angered, airs his grievances in an Instagram post, stating he had assumed his World Championships debut.
"Unfortunately, I underestimated the DLV. The hurdle of qualifying internationally for the World Championships, which I easily managed, seems to be easier than securing support from my own federation."
With two runners, Samuel Fitwi and Sebastian Hendel, withdrawing, Pfeiffer was primed to fill the void. Having allegedly received verbal confirmation from national coach Alexander Fromm, Pfeiffer believed he would be participating. Eligibility can be achieved through a World Athletics norm time of 2:06.30 hours or via the World Ranking with an additional internal DLV norm of 2:07.50 hours set between September 2024 and May 2025. However, the DLV is adamant about its own norm.
The Sting of Retroactive Norms
Politics within sports: The DLV’s norm is notoriously strict, lying merely 1.1 percent above the World Athletics norm for marathon. It's a tight squeeze, as Pfeiffer found out at the Berlin Marathon in September, where he ran 2:08.20 hours, missing the performance confirmation norm by a mere 30 seconds—a standard he was unaware of at the time. Previously, Pfeiffer had run 2:07.14 hours in January 2024, under the later required norm, but for the DLV before the relevant period. Nevertheless, the federation insists on its own norm.
Pfeiffer expresses his frustrations to ntv.de: "The norm is definitely rigged in such a way that I just missed it at the Berlin Marathon. You can see that when you look at the percentage deviation of the confirmation norm."
"Retroactive norms make no sense and interfere with the dynamics of a qualification process."
Past Controversies
Last year, Pfeiffer faced similar tribulations. Given the reserve position for the Olympic Games, he was on standby in case a German dropped out. Surprisingly, Petros fell ill just before the event, forcing him to withdraw ten kilometers from the finish line. Pfeiffer felt uninformed about the situation, expressing disappointment that he wasn't alerted to Petros' illness sooner, thus impacting his preparation for the race.
Pfeiffer seeks to discuss the situation with the board of the Performance Sports of DLV, Jörg Bügner. Bügner, according to Pfeiffer, is less forthcoming, stating he is not responsible for the nominations. Pfeiffer finds this baffling, as the nomination guide initially attributes the responsibility for nominations to the board. Fearing evasion, Pfeiffer presses for accountability.
Allegations and Responses
In response to Pfeiffer's criticisms, DLV cites transparency and planning security in their nomination procedures. They acknowledge the difficulties athletes may face when left out of the squad, accepting it as a challenging decision. However, the federation denies any intention to cause disappointment or leave spots open.
Pfeiffer stands firm, questioning the cultural attitude towards nominating athletes. In the US and other nations, he points out, the emphasis is on maximum representation, wherein every athlete is given the opportunity to represent their country. In contrast, the German Athletics Federation appears more selective, focused on top placements.
Public Sympathy and Support
On Twitter and Instagram, numerous runners share their similar experiences and offer words of support for Pfeiffer. Sonja Oberem, 2002 European Championship bronze medalist, and Anja Scherl, running colleague, commiserate with the marathon ace, stating such instances fit seamlessly into their experiences with the DLV.
Richard Ringer, fellow World Championships participant, expresses sympathy for Pfeiffer. "That's unfortunate, Hendrik. You're even 39th out of 100 starting places, which is four places better than I was on the Road-to-Paris list last year, where I finished 12th. So, you see what's possible."
Battle for Justice
In light of the situation, Pfeiffer considers taking legal action against the federation. If the DLV only nominates two athletes, a spot will go to another nation, making it challenging to reverse the decision. Alternatively, Pfeiffer considers seeking a legal determination on the legality of retroactive norms. If deemed unlawful, athletes might secure improvements for future competitions.
Legal challenges against DLV are not unheard of. Charles Friedek, triple jump world champion, engaged in an extended battle with the association, and in 2015, the Federal Court of Justice awarded him damages. Pascal Behrenbruch, a former decathlete, and Philipp Pflieger, a runner, also tried, unsuccessfully, to compete in multiple events at European Championships.
Pfeiffer ponders over the risks of taking legal action, fearing potential repercussions on his professional future and World Championships participation. However, he emphasizes that there is still hope for a resolution, pleading, "I want to emphasize that Jörg Büchner still has the opportunity to reconsider and perhaps simply say, 'You were right, maybe I made a mistake.' Then we can shake hands. That's leadership - admitting a mistake and correcting it."
Source: ntv.de
- DLV - German Athletics Association
- Track and Field - Athletics
- World Championships
- The dispute over the World Championships spot has sparked conversations in the sports community, with several athletes expressing their sympathies for Hendrik Pfeiffer and sharing similar experiences in sports-betting.
- Despite the DLV's insistence on their own norm for the World Championships, Hendrik Pfeiffer's case has fueled discussions on the fairness of retroactive norms, affecting not only the qualification process in athletics but also other sports.
