German track stars adjust focus ahead of national championships and European meet

Former 5,000‑metre European champion Konstanze Klosterhalfen (29) announced she will skip the German Athletics Championships in Bochum and also withdraw from the upcoming European Championships in Birmingham, opting to concentrate on road running to avoid the higher strain of track competition. Klosterhalfen has previously missed major events, including the 2024 European Championships in Rome, the Paris 2024 Olympics and the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, due to recurring injuries.

Leverkusener hurdler Marlene Meier (24) is targeting a title at the German Championships and a place at the European Championships. After setting a personal best of 13.15 seconds at the national championships and winning a recent meet in Luzern, Meier aims for a time around 12.84 seconds, which would secure her an EM ticket. She entered the event with confidence, citing her recent indoor titles and strong competition as motivation.