Summer Olympics 2008
Success is to run your own personal best, 08/21/2008
Sabrina Mockenhaupt couldn’t do anything to contribute to the Medals Table. The young athlete from Cologne during her second Olympic 10,000 metre race finished 13th. Even so it was the best run of her career since she ran her own personal best. „That was fantastic. I am very happy“ she said. Her roommate Antje Möldner experienced the same.
Even a few days after the race Sabrina Mockenhaupt was still exhausted from her 10,000 metre race. „I am absolutely whacked and tired as well, because it got late yesterday “, admitted the 1.56 m track-and-field athlete in the Bauerfeind Service Station. For relaxation everyone enjoyed a round of cappuccinos. Sabrina Mockenhaupt described once again how she improved on her old personal best by almost seven seconds to 31:14 minutes. „Everyone started off way too fast“, explained the 27 year old. The top-class group of 32 women ran the first kilometers in about three minutes. Mockenhaupt allowed herself to fall away so that she could run at her own tempo– and not simply to hang on to someone “. Whilst before her the runners began to pay for their high starting tempo, „Mocki“ started to catch up on the rest of the field. She also got involved in a duel with a Chinese runner that helped to make the stadium rumble.
„I never thought I would come in 13th amongst such strong competition“, explained the Siegen-born athlete joyously. Only a few months previously had she returned to her first trainer Heinz Weber. „I missed my family, surroundings and friends“, explained Sabrina Mockenhaupt about her change of heart. She increased her training capacity to about 170 km per week and in so doing was excellently prepared and highly motivated for Beijing. She only has good recollections of her second Olympic games. „These are fantastic games, helpful people and the stadium was amazing“, she enthused and also added wryly „Of course, more fun can be had if you are also successful.“
Sabrina Mockenhaupt’s time was not enough to win an Olympic medal. Even with a new German record she would not have run any of the ten best times. „I am aware that only medals count in Germany. But when you run your own personal best, you can’t say you’ve done anything wrong“, the athlete said, not allowing anything to bring down her cheerful mood. This also applied for Antje Möldner, the roommate of Sabrina Mockenhaupt in the Olympic village. Her new German record delighted the 3,000 meter steeplechase runner– even though she missed out on the final by finishing in seventh place in her qualifier.
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