Dresden steeplechaser Karl Bebendorf is scheduled to undergo surgery on Tuesday in Munich and will be sidelined for several weeks. The two-time European bronze medalist and seven-time German champion in the 3,000-meter steeplechase tore the biceps femoris tendon on the back of his left thigh during a sprint last week at a training camp in St. Moritz, Switzerland. This was confirmed by a subsequent MRI scan. “This is a new chapter for me; I’ve never had a serious sports injury before, but I won’t let this get me down. Even though I now face a long rehabilitation process, I’ll come back stronger than ever,” explains the track and field athlete, who has officially been a member of the international professional team On Athletics Club (OAC) Europe—led by coach Thomas Dreißigacker—since February. Despite the serious injury, the 30-year-old does not see his participation in the World Championships in Beijing next September as being in jeopardy. It would be his fifth World Championships. Copyright 2026, dpa (www.dpa.de). All rights reserved
