Andreas Kramer finished last in his heat on 800 meters at the European Championship in Apeldoorn on Friday morning. The race was chaotic and Kramer and other runners jostled for positions.
The 27-year-old Swede had to take several steps inside the track, on the inner field, and finished last in the heat, far behind the competitors with a time of 1.50,17. In the mixed zone afterwards, he announced that a protest had been filed to the organizer, after consulting with national team captain Kajsa Bergqvist.
The protest was later rejected, announced the Swedish Athletics Federation, which Bergqvist is critical of.
They didn't think it was enough, and we felt it was a borderline case. These incidents ruined his race completely, she says to SVT.
Kramer felt that the Irishman Mark English, who finished second in the heat and took a direct spot to the semi, affected him in the race.
"Really Disappointed"
It's not a clear push in that way. But I get blocked and end up inside, he says.
The Swedish runner, who took World Championship silver indoors last year, has had health problems ahead of the European Championship. Which also affected his performance in his first race of the year.
The spontaneous feeling is that it's one of the worst races I've done. But then it's an assessment of everything. I'm really disappointed with the outcome.
Nielsen to EM Semi
Better went for Wilma Nielsen. She finished third in her heat on the same distance and ran to the finish line in 2.02,68, which was enough to advance to the semi-final on time.
The 23-year-old, who mostly competes in the USA, arrived in the Netherlands on Sunday. Earlier during the indoor season, she has run as fast as 2.01,27, in Boston in February. Nielsen hopes to reach the European Championship final when the semi-finals are decided on Saturday evening.
I still think it's very open. No one has run on any extremely fast time this year. If I get a race like I got in the USA, I believe I'll be able to get there (to the final), she says.
