Pfungstadt: Stepanov runs the best time and is closing in on records!

Pfungstadt: Stepanov runs the best time and is closing in on records!

Last weekend, Alexander Stepanov from VfL Sindelfingen caused a stir in the athletics world. At the Merck Running Gala in Pfungstadt he ran a new personal best of 1:44.17 minutes over 800 meters. Not only does this represent an increase of almost two seconds compared to his previous best time, but it is also the best time by a German middle distance athlete in over 20 years athletics.de reported.

With his impressive performance, Stepanov is now in seventh place in the all-time German best list and is only a hundredth of a second slower than Olympic champion Nils Schumann. The German record set by Willi Wülbeck in 1983 at the World Championships in Helsinki is only 52 hundredths of a second away. Six days before this race, Stepanov had already achieved a time of 1:46.08 minutes in Rehlingen, which secured his qualification for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

An amazing run

The pacesetter completed the first lap in a strong 50.5 seconds, which put the competition under pressure. Stepanov was surprised by his convincing performance, especially since his preparation was anything but optimal due to knee problems. “It wasn’t until my race in Karlsruhe that I really felt in shape,” he admitted. Father Oleg, who ran 800 meters in 1:46.29 minutes in 1997, and mother Elvira, with a best time of 2:01 minutes, can be proud of their son, who is now well on his way to continuing the family tradition.

• Aktuelle Bestzeit: 1:44,17 Minuten
• Vorherige Bestzeit: 1:46,08 Minuten
• Vater Oleg: 1:46,29 Minuten
• Mutter Elvira: 2:01 Minuten

On June 1st, Stepanov also set a new record in the 400 meters with 46.85 seconds. He is now planning to compete twice at the U23 European Championships in Bergen and the World Championships in Tokyo. “I hope to run another 1:44 this season, it all depends on my form, the weather and the competition,” he says optimistically.

Rewards and challenges

The modern equipment, especially the new carbon spikes, offers athletes like Stepanov additional performance support as long as they work technically cleanly. Despite health setbacks, including winter flu and patellar tendinopathy, the young athlete appears to be on the right track. "Nils Schumann congratulated me on Instagram. I can hardly believe that I'm so close to his time," he smiles.

The victory in Pfungstadt went to Pieter Siks from Belgium with a time of 1:44.09 minutes. For his part, Elija Ziem from Königsteiner LV placed 21st with 1:50.25 minutes. Stepanov will hardly have time to sniff him because the next competitions, including the European Team Championships, the U23 European Championships and the German Championships, are already around the corner.

What an exciting time for this emerging athletics nation! Northern Courier mentioned that Stepanov not only breaks personal records with his run, but could also exceed the expectations of the German athletics team. The coming weeks promise drama, talent and maybe even records.

It is now exciting for every athletics fan to watch how Alexander Stepanov develops and whether he can confirm his achievements at the upcoming championships. The athletics scene is holding its breath!