Isabel Posch breaks 23-year-old Austrian record over 100 meters

Reaction of the Record Holder

The reaction of the previous record holder was conciliatory. Karin Mayr-Krifka, who had held the record for 23 years, was present as an eyewitness in St. Pölten. "I'm glad my Austrian record has finally been broken after 23 years," said the 55-year-old. The respect between the two sprinters was palpable.

Strong International Field

The competition in the field was also of high caliber. German sprinter Rebekka Haase, who ran in the lane next to Posch, finished in 11.04 seconds. Beyond Posch, Czech runner Karolina Manasova improved the 45-year-old national record to 11.01 seconds, surpassing the old best mark of Jarmila Kratochvilova (11.09). Leni Lindner improved her personal best to 11.28 seconds.

In the European season's best list, Posch climbed to fifth place with her time. She has also qualified for the European Championships in Birmingham in August. Her next competition is this weekend in Regensburg, where she is expected to compete individually and certainly in the relay.

Training Change and Lack of Support

The success is not by chance. About a year ago, Posch moved her training to Switzerland and joined Christian Gutgsell's group in St. Gallen. The commute there takes about half an hour. Before that, she had studied biochemistry at California State University in Fresno for a year. After switching from the heptathlon to the sprint discipline, she was dismissed from the army's elite sports program.

Financially, Posch is largely on her own. She receives support from the state of Vorarlberg and the Austrian Athletics Federation, as well as sponsorship from the company 4you-immo. She does not have an equipment sponsor; she buys her competition shoes – Nike models – herself.

Outlook for Regensburg

Despite these adversities, she delivered a performance in St. Pölten that caused a stir in domestic athletics. In 2023, she had already won the Universiade in Chengdu in the heptathlon with 6107 points. "Even with a perfect heptathlon, hardly more than 6300 points would have been possible," she had explained at the time. In St. Pölten, she proved that her path in the sprint discipline was the right decision.

The night after the record-breaking run was restless for Posch. "So much went through my head during the night. I probably slept for an hour, certainly not more," she reported. This weekend, Regensburg awaits her next appearance, and the Austrian relay team, which recently improved the ÖLV record to 43.77 seconds in Villach, will likely also be a significant focus for Posch.