European Athletics (EAA) – News – Achilles injury means Germany’s Friedrich unable to defend indoor title

Germany’s Ariane Friedrich will not be able to defend her European Athletics Indoor Championships high jump title after suffering a serious Achilles injury in training in Frankfurt on December 22.

The former European Athletics Junior Championships gold medallist was also a winner in Torino two years ago, and has since taken bronze medals at the 2009 World Championships and at this summer’s European Athletics Championships, but she will not have a competition until at least June after undergoing surgery.

“This is the biggest blow of my sporting career. However, I’ve now put it mentally behind me and I’m starting to feel positive about the future,” said Friedrich, writing last week on her website www.arianefriedrich.com

“I would like to especially thank the super-professional first aid on site. I screamed and cried like a savage and did not register everything but people were there so fast and my leg was immediately stabilsed.

“I want to say thank you to everyone who has been so supportive. I will work every single day now towards my big goal of the Olympics in 2012. Certainly there will be days or even weeks when I will not show any progress but my self-confidence will hopefully strengthen me so that I'm soon on top form again,” she added.

European Athletics (EAA) – News