A Future World Beater

Ariane Friedrich's achilles injury back in December 2010 did not leave a void in German high jumping. Instead, it left the field wide open for up and coming athletes to excel. One such talent is Marie-Laurence Jungfleisch. 

Read: "Track Beauty of the Week - Marie-Laurence Jungfleisch"

She made her major championship debut at the European Indoor Championships in Paris. She finished 15th in qualifying, registering a mark of 1.89m - 3cm off her then indoor personal best of 1.93m. Marie-Laurence also failed to progress beyond the qualifying rounds at the Helsinki European Championships, as she placed outside the top 12. 

The young German immediately made amends. A few weeks after the European Championships, Jungfleisch soared to a new personal best of 1.95m in Luzern, ranking her 17th in the 2012 top list.

Marie-Laurence has yet to win her first ever major championship medal, much less a barge into the final. Judging by her solid jumping the past few seasons, expect the young German to gradually work her way up the high jump hierarchy.

Sources:
Jungfleisch’s Leichtathletik.de profile
IAAF Biography

The Versatile Rosolova

I first learned about Denisa Rosolova while watching last year's European Indoor Championships. It was remarkable how a former champion heptathlete and world class long jumper shifted to the quarter mile and strike gold! I admired her athletic talent and versatility. More importantly, Rosolova has the audacity to try something unorthodox. For this, she has reaped dividends.

Read: "Track Beauty of the Week - Denisa Rosolova"

Rosolova competing at the 2011 Bislett Games. (Photo from Chell Hill)

I was in for another surprise while watching the European Athletics Championships. Rosolova competed in the 400m hurdles, repeatedly setting new personal bests. The Czech star eventually wound up third in the final, finishing behind Russia's Irina Daydova (53.77s) and Ukraine's Anna Yaroshchuk Ханна Ярощук (54.24s). Remarkably, this was Rosolova's sixth or seventh outing in her new event, according to an EAA interview.

Back in the olden days, quarter milers usually dabbled in the intermediate hurdlers with good results, considering the fact that the two events are practically sister events. Those with good 400m flat times could succeed in the low hurdles, despite technical flaws in hurdling. True enough, talented intermediate hurdlers like Angelo Taylor, Bershawn Jackson, and Natalya Antyukh have successfully won medals in the flat one-lap sprint and the long relays.

Read:  "The 400m hurdles/400m dash Combo"

What makes Rosolova stand out is her circuitous journey from heptathlete, long jumper, quarter miler and intermediate hurdler. Not many athletes in this day and age of specialization can emulate Rosolova.

Denisa's major championship curriculum vitae is impressive, having won World Junior long jump title, European Indoor Championship gold, and now - the European Championship intermediate hurdles bronze.

Denisa Rosolova, indeed, is one Superb Senora!