Verena Mayr from Ebensee

Qualifying drama before the Olympics: “My heart is broken”

Verena Mayr was eleventh at the 2021 Olympics, now there was a qualifying drama

(Bild: AP)

Upper Austrian swimmer Lena Kreundl was jubilant on Tuesday as she slipped into Austria's 80-strong Olympic squad. For track and field athlete Verena Mayr, however, her injury drama was followed by qualifying drama! The 29-year-old from Ebensee found out about this in Paris of all places - the venue for the Games.

When the ÖOC officially announced Austria's line-up on Tuesday, the dream of the Olympics came true for many athletes. Athlete Verena Mayr's dream, however, was shattered in dramatic fashion shortly beforehand! Having just arrived in Paris, the 2019 World Championship bronze medallist found out that she had missed out on the Paris ticket by a wafer-thin margin: 24 athletes qualified via the heptathlon ranking, with Mayr finishing in 25th place! After the final stage of the qualification process, there are no more starting places for the ÖLV. "My heart is broken," posted the 29-year-old from Ebensee, who was unable to compete in the heptathlon for almost two years after finishing 11th at the 2021 Games in Tokyo due to injury dramas.

Mayr will keep fighting after such a bitter setback

(Bild: GEPA pictures/ Patrick Steiner)

"Find new goals for myself!"
But Verena never gave up, sensationally finishing fifth at the World Indoor Championships this year and becoming national champion in Götzis with 6196 points ahead of Ivona Dadic, who also failed to qualify! However, Verena had to withdraw from the European Championships due to an infection - and is now also missing out on Paris due to the questionable qualification mode! "I'm disappointed and sad because it was so close and I've struggled so much in recent years. Sometimes you just want to cry and give up - but I'm not giving up, I'm looking for new goals!"

Susanne Gogl-Walli is in her final Olympic preparations

(Bild: Thomas Windestam)

Upper Austrian duo in final preparation
At the Games, she will only be following the competitions of her best friends. "I will go on vacation at that time so that I don't miss too much," says Mayr after the bitter end. While hurdles sprinter Karin Strametz also failed, 400m ace Susi Gogl-Walli, like Lukas Weißhaidinger, is also in the final preparations; she also came third in Hengolo. Her time: 51.21s - she was only faster this year at the European Championships.