Länderkampf in Hungary 2019
For the 5th time, a CH delegation took part in this master international competition in which athletes from Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Austria and Switzerland competed. This time the competition took place in Zalaegerszeg/Hungary. With a team of 24 athletes (new participant record) we tried once again to achieve a good team result. Unfortunately, despite the large number, some disciplines remained vacant. It was gratifying that we were able to welcome some new “young” athletes who, according to their own statements, felt very comfortable at their first international competition.
When the ranking was announced, we seemed to have achieved our goal and finished 5th overall, 2 points ahead of Croatia. Unfortunately we had to find out 2 days later that the evaluation had some errors and we took last place again, 2 points behind Croatia. With the good individual results we were again able to count on Heidi Graber-Bolliger, who won the javelin throw with a very good 23.70m (age graded 56.07m) and the double victory in the hammer of Conny Hodel and Mägy Duss who 48.21m (68.73m) and left 39.22m (60.21m). In the hammer throw, Margaritha Dähler-Stettler started out of competition and threw the 3 kg hammer 35.57m 74cm further than her own W70 record. But also the “new” Nisa Camelo and Erika Kälin, both of whom were at the start over 1500m, were able to convince. Among the men, Jean-Pierre Pahud in particular convinced in the long jump with an excellent 5.46m (age graded 7.37m) in 2nd place and Stephan Zulauf with new Swiss record M60 over 400m in 60.00sec (age graded 49.00sec). Stephan Zulauf thus improved his own M60 record, set in Basel this year, by 82 hundredths; Stephan is confident of finishing the track loop before a minute is up. The “boys” Marc Lenhard started in the high jump 1.69m (age graded 1.73m) and Patrick Buess over 100m in 12.96sec (age graded 12.80sec). Unfortunately, the age supplements were not that high here. The other results can be seen in the attached ranking list. The next international match will not be held in Switzerland after all, since the Balkan Championships will take place in Croatia on the same date and Croatia and Slovenia will therefore not be there would be. We have now exchanged ideas with Austria, which is organizing the 9th country comparison in June 2020 in Leibnitz. If nothing else comes between us, we will take over the anniversary implementation in 2021.Walter