Mujinga Kambundji and William Reais achieve the 100/200 m double at the Swiss Championships in Winterthur. Annik Kälin also wins two titles.
As on Friday in the 100 m, Mujinga Kambundji also set a season's best in the 200 m. At 22.42 seconds, the 32-year-old from Bern was seven hundredths faster than at the European Championship triumph in Rome. "Both races were not ideal," said Kambundji about the performances in Winterthur. Over the half track lap, she felt a little tired in the last 40 meters. "But basically I'm satisfied."
William Reais, who came third at the European Championships, is convinced that he has the Olympic time limit of 20.16 seconds in his legs in the 200 m, although he is likely to be ranked in Paris anyway. The 25-year-old from Graubünden will have to be patient, however, as his time stopped after 20.27 seconds. However, he is definitely on the right track, having improved his own season's best by nine hundredths and the national record by one hundredth. The strong performance was also necessary, as Felix Svensson (20.30) demanded everything from him.
Ditaji Kambundji decided not to compete in the final as a precaution
Heptathlete Annik Kälin also won two gold medals in Winterthur. After winning the long jump on Friday, she also triumphed in the 100 m hurdles in 12.97 seconds. The 24-year-old from Graubünden benefited from the withdrawal of Ditaji Kambundji, runner-up at the European Championships, who did not take any risks due to slight problems in her back thigh. Not starting in the final was purely a precautionary measure.
Joseph challenged by Ehammer
As expected, Jason Joseph decided the men's hurdles sprint in his favor in 13.26 seconds. The European Championship bronze medallist was pushed hard by all-rounder Simon Ehammer (13.38) before making the decisive difference in the final meters.
In the semi-final, Joseph had been one hundredth of a second faster with a personal season's best of 13.25. "It's always something different that is good and not good," said the 25-year-old from Basel, who had been slowed down by an injury before the European Championships. "I think it's down to the lack of competition experience this season."
Meanwhile, Ehammer plans to announce next Friday whether he will compete in the decathlon or long jump at the Olympic Games in Paris. "I'm giving it a lot of thought, I'm always wavering back and forth," says the 24-year-old from Appenzell.
Great 800 for the women
A highlight of the title fights was the women's 800 m race. With Rachel Pellaud (1:58.60), Audrey Werro (1:58.67), Valentina Rosamalia (1:58.69) and Lore Hoffmann (1:59.26), four athletes stayed under the Olympic time limit of 1:59.30 minutes. No Swiss woman had previously run under two minutes this year. Yasmin Giger also achieved the required time for Paris (54.85) in the 400 m hurdles with a time of 54.77 seconds.
SDA
