"We've always rotated at the World Cups in order to take it easy on Emma Hinze due to her age. But now at the World Championships we don't want to experiment any more and want to give them both security," said national coach Detlef Uibel before the start of the World Championships on Wednesday.
"If she didn't do the first run, there might be a lack of excitement afterwards. And the second run in particular has to be 120 per cent," explained Welte. The 21-year-old Hinze is thus taking on the difficult legacy of Welte's long-time success partner Kristina Vogel. With Vogel, who has been paralysed since her serious training accident in June 2018, the 32-year-old Welte became team sprint world champion four times and won gold at the 2012 Olympics in London.
With Hinze as her partner, Welte won bronze at last year's European Championships in Glasgow. "Whether it will be enough for a medal will of course also depend on the competition. But I think we have a realistic chance," said Uibel. In addition to Welte and Hinze, Pauline Grabosch (21) and World Championship debutant Lea Sophie Friedrich (19) are also in the German women's sprint squad.
