Nienke Brinkman drops out in Hamburg marathon and can forget about Games | Sports Other

Thirty-year-old Brinkman got off in Hamburg, when she was not even halfway there. In the weeks leading up to the marathon in the German city, she suffered from calf problems.

In any case, Hamburg was Brinkman’s last chance. The qualifying period for the Games ends at the end of this month. The Netherlands still has a ticket available for the Olympic marathon. Three women are allowed to participate in Paris and only Sifan Hassan and Anne Luijten have met the limit (2:26.50).

The 31-year-old Hassan is even a candidate for Olympic gold with her personal record of 2:13.44, although she has not yet confirmed that she will actually run the marathon in Paris. Hassan can also win several medals on the track.

Based on her status and personal record, Brinkman belonged in the Olympic selection, but due to a physical setback she has not been in action since April 2023. It has been very quiet around Brinkman in recent months, after she almost out of nowhere stormed to the top in long-distance running at the beginning of this decade.

The former hockey player ran a top time of 2 hours, 26 minutes and 34 seconds in her first marathon in Valencia in 2021. A year later she set a Dutch record in Rotterdam (2:22.51) and won a historic bronze medal at the European Championships in Munich.

Brinkman hoped to finally perform well again at the Games in Paris, but the withdrawal in Hamburg puts an end to that plan.