GERMAN MEETINGS: KARLSRUHE – World champion Christina Schwanitz to take part in shot–‐put premiere at the INDOOR MEETING KARLSRUHE 2017

The INDOOR MEETING Karlsruhe will be experiencing a true premiere as it goes into its 33rd edition starting February 4th, 2017. For the first time in the history of the tradition–‐steeped event, women's shot–‐put has been added to the program.

Of course, sports director Alain Blondel managed to win the currently most successful German shot–‐putter and athlete of the year Christina Schwanitz for this premiere at the INDOOR MEETING at the Karlsruhe Trade Fair Center. “After 33 years, it was simply time to bring one of the most successful international disciplines of German athletics to the INDOOR MEETING in Karlsruhe”, Blondel says.

“With Christina Schwanitz, the audience will be able to greet and experience one of the greatest personalities of German sports in person.”

The athlete, who belongs to the club LV 90 Erzgebirge, initially caused an uproar when she achieved her personal best of 20.77 meters in Beijing in May 2015. In August, she then reached 20.37 meters at the same spot, which won her the world championship title and led to her being voted Germany's athlete of the year. In 2016, another gold medal followed for Schwanitz at the European championships in Amsterdam, the second one at a European championship after Zurich in 2014.

At the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Schwanitz finished in sixth place with a distance of 19.03 meters, a great disappointment to her. However, Schwanitz is open about her setback. She demonstrated this at the end of November, when she chatted about the highs and lows of her life and the challenges of being a top athlete during the launch of her biography. The book, titled „Es ist doch nur Kugelstoßen…“ („It's just shot put…“), will be available from mid–‐December.

The idea for the biography came about two years ago. The title is meant to be satirical. „It's not soccer, not tennis – it's shot–‐put, my passion, my life – and I have had to listen to people say: It's just shot–‐put“, Schwanitz explained at the book launch.

Advance sales have begun for the INDOOR MEETING.

Tickets for blocks F and I can be purchased at the Karlsruhe Christkindlesmarkt, directly at the „Christmas hut“ (Weihnachtshütte) of the Karlsruhe Event GmbH (stand 63).

Tickets for all categories are available at the Tourist–‐Information Karlsruhe, Bahnhofsplatz 6, 76137 Karlsruhe, via the ticket phone under 0721 25 000, and online via www.ticketmaster.de.

Philipp Schätzle