European record! Ditaji Kambundji can hardly believe it
Image: Keystone
The obligatory winner's photo with the Swiss flag
Image: Keystone
The competitors are left behind
Image: Keystone
Start-to-finish victory: Ditaji Kambundji pulls away right at the front
Image: Keystone
Smooth and technically flawless: Ditaji Kambundji
Image: Keystone
Ditaji Kambundji enjoys the moment
Image: Keystone
European record! Ditaji Kambundji can hardly believe it
Image: Keystone
The obligatory winner's photo with the Swiss flag
Image: Keystone
The competitors are left behind
Image: Keystone
Start-to-finish victory: Ditaji Kambundji pulls away right at the front
Image: Keystone
Smooth and technically flawless: Ditaji Kambundji
Image: Keystone
Ditaji Kambundji enjoys the moment
Image: Keystone
Ditaji Kambundji has achieved something historic at the European Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn. In a European record time of 7.67 seconds, the 22-year-old from Bern sprinted to gold in the 60 m hurdles.
08.03.2025, 10:23
08.03.2025, 10:30
SDA
Mental strength plays a decisive role, especially in competitive sport. Staying focused in tense situations and delivering top performances - some train themselves to do this, others - like the Kambundji sisters - manage it with ease. "Nothing could have rattled me today," says Ditaji Kambundji in the winner's interview. "I enjoy championships, they have always pushed me." But she is no longer over-motivated. "I can keep my focus and bring a certain calmness and composure to the competition."
Her technical coach Claudine Müller also mentions the mental aspect, among other things. When asked how she experienced her athlete during the run-in, she said: "Concentrated, professional, cambundjig!". Ditaji's main coach Florian Clivaz, who is also Mujinga Kambundji's friend and coach, can also relate to this adjective: "Ditaji is a Kambundji head. One hundred percent!", emphasizes the Frenchman. As a coach, you can only hope that such performances come at the decisive moment. "And that happens very often with the Kambundjis."
Surprised by the quantum leap
"At first I didn't even realize what this time meant," admits the hurdler. "I was just happy to have won." After bronze and silver in Munich 2022 and Rome 2024, she has now worked her way up to gold in the elite. "That's wonderful." And it is also a logical consequence: the athlete from Bern has already been European champion in all junior categories.
"The time is pretty amazing," admits the 22-year-old. "I didn't think it was possible." 7.67 not only means that Susanna Kallur's European record from 2008 has been equaled, but the small difference of two hundredths to the world record from the previous year is more significant. Ditaji Kambundji is one of the absolute best in the world. "We are Switzerland, but we are among the best in the world," emphasizes the Swiss Athletics athlete. "I'm looking forward to China." The World Indoor Championships will take place there in two weeks' time.
The Kamikaze feeling is gone
For the quantum leap with an increase of 13 hundredths, a few pieces of the puzzle have to come together: Increased basic speed, more strength, an even more precise technique and the realization of potential in competition. What is striking about Ditaji Kambundji's development is that she has lost the Kamikaze-like quality. In her junior years, it was often a case of win or fall.
"We've built up a stability in her technique that works," says Claudine Müller, a coach who specializes in hurdles sprints. Ditaji Kambundji usually travels to her in Basel twice a week, otherwise she trains together with her sister and William Reais (European Championship 3rd 200 m) in Bern and sends the videos of the training runs to Basel. They are now working on details such as the arm position, says Claudine Müller.
"Ditaji is healthy," says Clivaz, probably the most important reason for the exploit in Apeldoorn. "In principle, we were ready a year ago, but then came the injury." The hurdler had injured her hamstring at the Swiss Championships in the Olympic year, having previously lowered the Swiss record to 12.40 seconds by winning silver at the European Championships in Rome. After that, she had to train alternatively and everything became more complicated. "Everything fell into place today: Health, form on the day and Kambundji's head."
