Mujinga Kambundji recorded the third-fastest time of her career, at 7.02 seconds. It was a strong race, despite a less explosive start than usual. The longevity of the Bernese sprinter is exceptional; she has thrilled the crowd at Athletissima for over a dozen years. Her podium finish in the Netherlands – her fifth in a major continental championship – will further enhance her role as an ambassador for our meeting. Worth noting is the performance of Emma van Camp from Lausanne-Sports, who reached the semifinals at just 20 years old.
Switzerland almost celebrated a second medal on Sunday. Unfortunately, Audrey Werro, who had made a strong impression in the heats and semifinals, fell 150m from the finish line in the 800m, just as she was moving up through the pack to contend for a medal. The 20-year-old from Fribourg, jostled from the start, paid dearly for her difficulty in finding space for her long and beautiful stride in the confined indoor track. Another regular at Athletissima, Rachel Pellaud from Biel, took a promising fifth place.
The Swiss team leaves Apeldoorn with five medals in their bag, including two golds by Ditaji Kambundji (60m hurdles) and Angelica Moser (pole vault). These are joined by silver medals from Mujinga Kambundji, Simon Ehammer(heptathlon), and Annik Kälin (long jump). Never before had Switzerland achieved such a medal haul at a European Indoor Championship.
The cherry on top: Ditaji Kambundji set a European record on Friday, just 0.02 seconds shy of the world record…
