Rebecca Wardell
GERMANY
16.Erdgas Mehrkampf Meeting IAAF World Combined Events, Ratingen – 14/15 June 2012
Rebecca Wardell was a surprise leader after day one of the heptathlon. Wardell produced two personal bests and went close in a third event to lead with a score of 3706. Her personal bests were high jump 1.75m and shot put 15.30m.
In the 100m hurdles she was just .01s outside her PB clocking 14.02s (+0.1). Wardell finished day one with a time of 24.50s (-0.2) over 200m. After a good start to day two with a 5.91m (0.0) long jump disaster struck as she injured her left hamstring in the process of the jump. It was extremely unfortunate, because her first jump was reported to have been a very good one, possibly longer than six metres, but by mistake officials did not measure this jump and instead they started to rake while the athlete and the spectators were waiting for the result on the scoreboard. Wardell was then given an extra jump at the end of round one, where she achieved the 5.91m.
Able to jog but not stride out Wardell decided to withdraw from the competition.
Sarah Cowley was fifth after the first day with 3495 points after performances of 13.60s (+0.9), 1.81m, 12.98m and 26.14s (+0.4). Cowley, with a slight foot injury from day one, did not start on day two. Julia Mächtig of Germany won with a total of 6345.
Cowley and Wardell will both compete in the French championships in the first week of July.
Wardell said it was a great feeling to get to the starting line in Ratingen after recovering from a previous injury only to be struck down on day two.
“The rollercoaster ride that is sport, and life! To have battled with injury to get to the start line in Ratingen, and then to be doing amazing, and the body feeling great…..it was just a freak thing that sometimes happens in sport when you are pushing the limits (strain most likely caused by slightly over-striding on the final take-off step which just put a little too much pressure on the hammy),” said Wardell in an email to her supporters.
“So that’s my story, the first half was amazing, the second half heartbreaking. Ratingen was my good luck charm in 2008 to qualify for Beijing, and was so close to being the same again in 2012! The hammy isn’t serious, but enough to stop me in my tracks for now, but I will be back!!!! I will take the positives from this, I got myself in a position to score 6200+ this weekend and I know I can do that again, and more, come French Champs and the Olympics.”
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