MWith a German record, exceptional runner Konstanze Klosterhalfen kicked off her Olympic year – and that’s on her return and her first ever 10,000m race. The 24-year-old from Leverkusen won the race on Saturday (local time) at an outdoor meeting in Austin, Texas, at 31: 01.71. “I can’t believe it. I’ve never run 10,000 meters before and was a little concerned about the length of the race.”

He finished third in the World Cup over 5,000 meters below the almost 30-year-old record of Catherine Ulrich of Berlin, which lasted 31: 03.62 minutes on 30 June 1991 in Frankfurt am Main. In wet and windy weather, Klosterhalfen also managed the Olympic standard of 31: 25.00 minutes. She rotated all of the participants in “The Texas Qualifier” and achieved speed in the second half of the race.

Klosterhoven’s strong start was also surprising as she missed the big meetings and German championships in Braunschweig last summer due to overreaction in the pool. Klosterhalfen said on a podcast by #TrueAthletes last week, she’s still in advanced training and won’t let herself get nervous. “I’m doing well. The main goal is to stay healthy.”

The wind disturbed something.

“This is, of course, amazing, especially after such a long hiatus from the injury.” “We are also totally amazed,” said Annette Stein, the coach of the German Athletics Federation, on Sunday from the German news agency (dpa).

According to DLV info, Klosterhalfen trained often in Leipzig last year, where her mentor – ex-athlete Oliver Mintzig – was CEO of Bundesliga club RB Leipzig. At the beginning of the year she had returned to Portland, USA, to see her coach, Pete Julian. He is in charge of Klosterhalfen even after the “Nike Oregon Project” is disbanded there due to accidents involving star coach Alberto Salazar, who has been suspended for doping.