Austria's walkers miss the final at the Team Relay European Championships in Birmingham

Competing for the Austrian Athletics Association (ÖLV) were Verena Mayr, Isabel Posch, Theresia Mohr, Magdalena Lindner and Karin Strametz. This meant that a strong line-up took to the start, although on this day they were unable to challenge for the medals.

The Austrian team

From the start, the race did not go according to plan for the ÖLV relay team, as the athletes lost contact with the leading group early on. The hilly course took its toll and made it difficult to close any gap once pace had been lost.

A look at the international competition also highlighted the high level of the field: Christania Williams was among the athletes in the starting line-up who shaped the competition. The density of strong walkers from various nations made it difficult for the Austrian team to place themselves in the leading positions.

International standard and disappointment

At the finish line, only ninth place remained in the end – a result that falls well short of their own expectations. Qualification for the final of the top eight teams was clearly missed, which further deepened the disappointment in the Austrian camp.

Posch, who as a hurdler also brings experience from other disciplines and strengthened the team together with Strametz, was only able to deploy her speed to a limited extent on the undulating course. Race walking requires its own very particular technique and endurance, which cannot simply be transferred from other athletics disciplines.

Outlook on upcoming competitions

Looking ahead to upcoming competitions, the team will need to draw lessons from this race. The conditions in Birmingham – hilly profile, city centre, simultaneously running competitions – have shown where the ÖLV team still has reserves and which adjustments need to be made for the future.