In our introductory report on the 10th IAAF World Championships
in Helsinki, we mentioned that the USA would be represented by 30
runners in the races from 800m to the marathon distance, while Germany
would start only 3 participants.
The USA entered 10 runners in the marathon, while Germany did not start
any runners at all. Luminita Zaituc had been nominated, but she
withdrew, however, due to injuries.
How the German runners are to gather experience, especially in light of
the European Championships next year in Göteborg, the Olympic Games in
Peking in 2008, and the World Championships in Berlin in 2009 in their
own country remains a mystery by the DLV (German Track and Field
Association) and their trainers.
It will be terrible for the spectators if there are no German runners
participating in Berlin in 2009, with whom they can identify.