English
Ten years ago Susanna Kallur became one of Sweden’s leading athletes. She was crowned European Champion on home soil, in Gothenburg in the summer 2006. During that season she posted the second fastest European time of the decade, 12.52 while winning the Golden Gala in Rome. She claimed four victories in the 2007 Golden League and stormed through two indoor seasons undefeated, setting a World record for 60 metres hurdles in Karlsruhe.
But the 2008 World Indoor Championships marked the first of a long sequence of injuries that finally put Kallur out of races at the beginning of 2010 outdoor season. However, "Sanna" was determined never to give up. Her long struggle to return to the track has been followed closely by the Swedish public.
"I have only a couple of opportunities to qualify" says Kallur about her Olympic dreams. "I have never been in that kind of alarming situation before. I am approaching the end of my journey. It is really nerve wracking!"
Kallur met her successor to the European hurdle throne, Alina Talay, during a training camp in Florida this spring, and got a unexpected opportunity to test how far she was from competition shape.
"We tried out six hurdles and I was surprised that I maintained her level" revealed Kallur about last summer’s World Bronze medallist.
BAUHAUS-galan won’t be a walk in the park in any sense for Susanna Kallur. Besides Olympic Champion, Sally Pearson, she will be joined by four swift Americans. Kendra Harrison started the season with one of hurdles’ history’s fastest results, 12.36. Kirsti Castlin is currently second on the world list.. Nia Ali has won the past two World Indoor 60 meters hurdles titles.. Queen Harrison has run a couple of races faster than Kallur’s pb. Put the training partner from this spring, Alina Talay, in the mix and you have got a quite competent hurdle field in Stockholm’s Olympic Stadium on 16 June.
Lorenzo Nesi
BAUHAUS-galan
