Michelle Heimberg Pays Tribute to Challenging Days

The day had gotten off to a very good start for the defending champion. In the qualifying round, she confidently secured one of the twelve spots in the final by finishing third. She impressed with the consistency of her jumps, as evidenced by her total score of 300.20 points.

The final battle for the medals, however, did not go as hoped. Heimberg and her coach made the decision together not to continue the competition after just one jump. The stress of the previous days had taken too heavy a toll. The 26-year-old from Aargau had suffered a miscarriage in the run-up to the European Championships, as she revealed to the public in an Instagram post. “The last two weeks have been incredibly challenging, both physically and emotionally,” she wrote on the social media platform.

Nevertheless, Heimberg did not want to miss out on competing in the continental championships. She wanted to use the trip to France’s capital as an opportunity to get back into her daily routine. However, the effort she put into the 1-meter springboard competition—which earned her a silver medal—had taken too much out of her. She was no longer able to perform at the same high level on the 3-meter springboard.