European Athletics (EAA) – News – European indoors possible for Friedrich; Turner to miss out on entire indoor season

Germany's 2009 European Athletics Indoor Championships high jump gold medallist Ariane Friedrich has resumed training after shoulder surgery with the aim of attempting to regain her title in the Swedish city of Göteborg next March.

The 2013 European Athletics Indoor Championships will be held in Göteborg between 1-3 March.

Friedrich injured her shoulder during training in February but postponed surgery until after the Olympic Games this summer.

"It was the right time for the surgery. The shoulder is now OK. We are looking to the future optimistically, "said her coach and German high jump guru Günter Eisinger.

Friedrich, still only 28 and the European Athletics Junior Championships gold medallist back in 2003 has been beset by injuries since 2010.

A knee injury prevented her from competing at the 2010 World Indoor Championships although she recovered to take the bronze medal at the European Athletics Championships in Barcelona that summer.

Friedrich then ruptured her Achilles tendon in training at the end of 2010 and missed all of last year, including defending her European Athletics
Indoor Championships title, but returned to competition at the start of this year.

However, her best result in 2012 was when she went over 1.93m in the London 2012 Olympic Games qualifying competition, a far cry from her German record of 2.06m. She decided to finish her season after the Olympics in order to concentrate on getting back to her best form.

By contrast to Friedrich, Great Britain's 2010 European Athletics Championships 110m gold medallist and 2011 World Championships bronze medallist Andy Turner has cancelled any plans for an indoor season after recent surgery on both his Achilles tendons.

"I'm just trying to get pain free so I can train fully and have a good outdoor season and make amends for a poor 2012," said the 32-year-old Turner, who failed to make the final of his event at the Olympics.

"At present, I haven't set myself exact targets but to make the world final (the 2013 World Championships will be in Moscow) and break my personal best are two things I'm confident I can do if I'm pain free.

"It (the surgery) sounds a lot worse than it is. I should be back in full training by Christmas but unfortunately indoor this year will not be happening," he added.

Nevertheless, Turner is still keen to finish his career with a European Athletics Indoor Championships medal after finishing fourth in the 60m hurdles at the 2007 and 2009 editions.

European Athletics (EAA) – News