Robert Harting Rocks Berlin

Berlin, GermanyCan this get any better for Germany? On Tuesday at the 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics Steffi Nerius snatched the Javelin gold with a first round winning throw of 67.30m. One day later it was not only Germany’s but BERLIN’s Robert Harting, who won the men’s Discus Throw title in what could not have been a more thrilling way. With his last attempt, roared on by 32,000 enthusiastic spectators the Berliner unleashed the throw of his life: When the Discus came down at 69.43 metres the stadium simply exploded with noise and excitement.

For Germany it could well go on in similar style on Thursday evening (21). Then there is someone competing called Ariane Friedrich!

“It is an unbelievable feeling. It will take a couple of days to realize what I have achieved and what is happening now. At the moment I feel simply happy,” said 24 year-old Robert Harting, who is Germany’s most talented Discus Thrower since the days of Lars Riedel, who took the World championships’ gold a record five times. Harting has now became the first German Discus World champion since Riedel last took the crown in Edmonton in 2001.

“Of course it was somehow comfortable to throw at home and I have to say a big thank you to the spectators, who cheered me on tremendously. At least one metre of my last throw belongs to their support,” said Harting, who first celebrated with his friends and fans sitting nearest to the Discus ring in the curve on the lower tier.

Berlino knock out!

On Tuesday Berlino, the mascot of the championships, had accidentally knocked over Nerius in a  moment of great joy, this time there was no way of bringing Robert Harting to the ground. After ripping his shirt in pieces as he did two years ago, when he had taken a surprising silver medal in Osaka, he simply took the bear as if it had been a small teddy and lifted him upside down on his back! While Berlino was struggeling Harting was celebrating.

When Poland’s Piotr Malachowski had thrown 68.77m in the opening round and then improved to 69.15m in round five it looked certain that he would take the gold. With the exception of Harting’s first round result of 68.25m noone had come close to Malachowski, who seemed to have shocked his competitors. But then Harting gave it all at his final attempt.

“I risked everything in that last attempt so it was fifty – fifty.” He could have blown it as well. But the Discus flew to a personal best of 69.43m, which substantially he improved his career mark from last year (68.65).

But one has to give credit to the Berlin spectators in the stadium, who applaused Piotr Malachowski at his final attempt despite the fact that the Pole could have spoilt the party. But he did not and the celebrations began.

“The support was really tremendous. I had hoped that may be a couple of chairs would have been ripped out and thrown down on the track,” said Harting. The stadium still stands but Harting’s celebrations continued elsewhere in the city.

“I will surely not go to bed before tomorrow evening! We will now really celebrate and spend some money.” Well, he has earned 60,000 US Dollars on Wednesday night, which is the biggest prize of his career.

“I feel sorry”, said the Berlin winner, “for the others who did not win today, but you can not always have everything.” While he ended Gerd Kanter’s win streak – the defending champion had not lost for over a year and took third with 66.88 m – Piotr Malachowski made a very fair statement after loosing in the last round: “I had hoped for gold, but Robert was stronger and he deserves to win it,” said the Pole.

Nearly quit the sport in 2002

Harting originally comes from Cottbus, which is southeast of Berlin and next to the Polish border. He first started doing athletics at a club in Cottbus and did multiple events. When he was 13 he helped as a volunteer at the international athletics meeting in Cottbus (Lausitzer Meeting), holding camera cables for Eurosport.

Now he is on the other side of the camera! But that took a while. He was at sports’ schools in both Cottbus and later in Berlin, where he had moved to in 2000. In 2002 he managed to qualify for the German team of the World Junior Championships. But in Jamaica Harting missed qualifying for the final, which was a major blow. He was so disappointed that he almost quit the sport.

But ‘Der Harting’ (The Harting) as he calls himself carried on. In 2004 he decided to leave his coach Werner Goldmann, who had plenty of success with German throwers before. But then he came back to him in 2006 and from there on he achieved his international breakthrough, taking the World Championships’ silver just one year later.

No touching please!

Harting is not always easy to take and interviews with him produce controversy regularly. He clearly has what is known in Germany as the ‘Berliner Schnauze’ – Berlin slang combined without any feeling for reverence, that sometimes can get ruthless.

“This must be a true homegame – the grass in this ground belongs to me, I want to rock the stadium” he had said before the championships. Or another one: “I tried to ‘save’ my throwing arm, not using it too much in the last two weeks. I have not seen my girlfriend for two weeks, so there was nothing to touch,” he said laughing. These are two of the more harmless quotes.

Besides the gold, plenty of prestige and the 60,000 Dollar bonus Harting also has won a bet with Werner Gegenbauer. Gegenbauer played a major part in bringing the IAAF World Championships to his hometown Berlin, where he runs a company. If he would throw beyond 68.50 metres then Gegenbauer said he would give him his superfast Audi sports car for one week. Harting achieved this on Wednesday. And here is another Harting: “Believe me,” he said, “I will do as many traffic offences as possible!”

International Discus Throwers and athletics fans, beware: Harting has a younger brother who is a Discus Thrower as well! Christoph Harting is 18 now, has the same coach as Robert and now surely got some more appetite when he watched his brother winning in the stadium on Wednesday night.

Jörg Wenig for the IAAF