For Robert Farken from Leipzig, the dream of a European Championship medal was shattered by a fall in the preliminary heat. The 26-year-old, who was running in a good position, fell at the start of the last lap on Monday and only finished eleventh. The best six athletes from the preliminary heat went through to the final over 1500 meters in the Olympic Stadium in Rome.
"I have the feeling that I brought it on myself," said Farken on ZDF. "I was more motivated than I have been for a long time. My teammates, from my training group, have won three medals so far. That was inspiring. I wanted to take the first step to follow suit. Now it's frustrating."
Farken was in the top 6 at the start of the final lap, wanted to accelerate and hit the legs of the Dutchman running in front of him. A total of four runners fell, and top favorite Jakob Ingebrigtsen was also briefly hampered. In the end, the Norwegian still won the preliminary heat.
