Robert Harting puts everything on Rio

Robert Harting is on the way to Rio. With his ninth championship discus gold, Harting showed class at the German Championships. Harting is not going on a trip to Amsterdam; he is fully focused on the Olympics.

Discus Olympic champion Robert Harting has swept the competition like in ancient times from the ring and secured with his ninth title the first Olympic ticket for Rio. In Kassel, Harting increased in round 6 to 68.04 meters and caught his younger brother Christoph (66.41 m) in the last attempt yet from.

“I had a lot of luck! I was on fire during the last attempt,” the 31-year-old said on Sunday after the exciting competition of the championships in Kassel. “For me today was another revival. All veins that were calcified, are now again with blood”, the European champion of 2012 and 2014 said after his triumph.

No European Championships due to the Olympic preparation

Five German discus thrower have met the Olympic standard – Robert Harting is now set as the German champion as the only one for the Summer Games at Sugarloaf. Therefore, wants the triple world champion as announced no start at the European Championships in Amsterdam (Netherlands, July 6 to 10). This decision is in consultation with German head coach Idriss Gonschinska.

“I am glad that I am in full force again in Training” Robert Harting announced. “Now I drive a G-class and no Formula 1 cars anymore,” explained the winner facing the training deficit of three to four weeks, due to his injuries, and his still aching right knee. “If I have to overtake the other throwers, the groundwork must be set.

His brother, who is six years younger, but six centimeters taller, he naturally congratulated in Kassel. “I am delighted that Christoph has also thrown so far.” He does not reveal much about the sibling relationship: “We love our parents – that’s why we are not talking about each other today.” Christoph Harting does not talk much to the public. His statement after each competition: “I give no interviews this year.”

Harting brothers number two and three in the world

Behind the new national champion Robert Harting now four throwers fight for the remaining two Rio tickets for Brazil (August 12 to 21). Third in Kassel was in front of the 15,200 spectators in the Auestadion Daniel Jasinski (65.18 m), but also Martin Wierig (SC Magdeburg; 67.60 m) and Markus Münch (SC Potsdam; 66.78 m) exceeded the Olympics- standard already this year.

The German discus throwers are in high position: In the current world top list are Christoph (68.06 m) and Robert Harting (68.04 m) – with a difference of only two centimeters – just behind the Polish champion Piotr Malachowski (68.15 m ) in the second and third place.

After the cruciate ligament injury in September 2014 and the year of 2015, the German needed only four competitions for his comeback. The stations five and six are: Already on Tuesday (June 21) Robert Harting throws at the “Folksam Challenge” in Umeå and on Friday (June 24) he travels to the meeting in Zeulenroda.

Source: leichtathletik.de by Pamela Ruprecht