"I am so proud"

Susanne Gogl-Walli storms into the final in Rome

Susanne Gogl-Walli(Bild: Thomas Windestam)

For the first time in her already impressive career, Susanne Gogl-Walli has reached a final in the 400 m at a major outdoor championship. At the European Championships in Rome, she finished third in the second semi-final in 51.14 seconds - and thus advanced to the final heat on Monday evening (21:50) in eighth place overall.

"I am so proud. This is unbelievable. Now I'm in a really big final for the first time in the outdoor season," said the Upper Austrian. In recent years, the semi-finals at the 2021 Olympics, the 2022 and 2023 World Championships and the 2022 European Championships have been the last stop for the athlete trained by Wolfi Adler.

Now she has made her big breakthrough outdoors for the first time. She had already achieved this step indoors - last year at the European Championships in Istanbul (fourth) and this year at the World Championships in Glasgow (sixth).

Great tradition
This is only the fourth time that Austria has been represented in the 400 m final at a European Championships. Before the athlete from Linz, Maria Sykora had achieved this twice in 1969 when she won her bronze medal and in 1971 when she finished fourth, as well as Karoline Käfer in 1974 when she finished sixth. The 28-year-old Susanne Gogl-Walli thus continues the tradition of these great red-white-red 400 m runners.

The athlete from Linz was one of the two fastest runners in the final. She even almost came second in her semi-final to advance directly to the final. So she had to tremble a little as to whether she would progress or not. In the end, however, it was a clear-cut affair. The ninth-placed athlete was already two tenths behind ...

"I have nothing to lose!"
In the final, she was seeded in lane 2. "I have nothing to lose there. I'll give it my all again, I'll certainly try everything. I might still be able to beat one or two of them. But I've already secured eighth place," said a beaming Susanne Gogl-Walli. She was also satisfied with her time of 51.14 seconds. After all, this was also her fourth-best career time so far.

"I'm fully fit again!"
"I'm fully healthy again, fully fit." She recently had to cancel the "Golden Spike" with a heavy heart due to health problems. But now she is back to full fitness - and has realized another career dream, a big outdoor final.