Ditaji Kambundji
Ditaji Kambundji entered the 2025 European Indoor Championships because the reigning European outside champion, having received the 100m hurdles in Rome in 2024 at 12.40. She was one of many favorites however not the standout favourite. Her earlier finest efficiency was third within the European Indoors in 2023 at 7.91. Going into the 2025 European Championships in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, her PR of seven.81 was unlikely to be quick sufficient to win.
Native favourite, Nadine Visser, delighted the group with a nationwide document of seven.72 but it surely was not sufficient as Ditaji completed in 7.67 for a PR, European and Championship document. When Ditaji spoke to the media afterward, she admitted that she was each laughing and crying with the emotion of the second: “I really feel that I would like to speak to the media to assist me to digest what simply occurred. Now I understand that I truly broke the European document, that I received and that I did what I needed to do”.
She mentioned concerning the race: “I knew from the beginning that it needed to be a quick time as a result of everyone was going to indicate up and everyone was going to run quick. I set myself a objective, and I knew what I needed to do. However bringing it house shouldn’t be at all times straightforward. I’m happy with myself for having the ability to obtain that underneath stress. Each championship, whether or not it’s good or dangerous, I at all times take lots from it. I at all times study lots from the instances. I additionally assume the psychological facet is important to be mentally able to work and carry out underneath stress. I believe that’s one thing expertise teaches you”.
Skrzyszowska, POL, bronze, Apeldoorn2025, picture by Maja Hitij
She additionally talked about the household celebration: “Seeing my household within the crowd, seeing my mother and pa waving at me… they’re at all times there for me. ” [And we know from Mujinga’s post-race comments that there were also 2 aunts present.] To have fun this with them is improbable.
Having your sister at a Championship, sharing the room, and having these experiences collectively… It’s at all times one thing particular to me. There’s a lot love in my entire household. “
She completed her interviews by saying, “I’m excited to see what my sister will do on Sunday.” Household is clearly so necessary to her.
There was little or no time to have fun on this unusual yr, with the athletics world enjoying catch-up with occasions postponed from the COVID period. She was off to China inside per week to take part within the World Indoors.
She was unable to finish the double, ending in 7.73, one-hundredth of a second behind Devynne Charlton, and needed to settle for the silver medal. She commented: “It’s not double gold. I believe it will have been a stupendous story, but it surely’s nonetheless a stupendous story. And it’s at all times good to go to a championship and return with a medal. And yeah, the race was powerful, so I’m completely happy to come back house with the medal.”
Requested to evaluate the race and her efficiency, she replied: “It wasn’t the proper race. I believe I had my excellent race of the season on the European Championships, and I really feel like once I’m going to look again on the race, I’ll discover some issues possibly the place I might have performed higher, however ultimately, I’m thrilled to have the ability to take that medal. I like competing. I like the game. I’m by no means taking it as a right to be right here, to have the ability to compete”. She added: “I’m taking house a medal, and I’m taking my sister house with the gold medal.”
Query: Is Ditaji Kambundji the one elite athlete with a “ji” in each names?
