Hanna Klein duped Konstanze Klosterhalfen and surprisingly won gold at the European Indoor Championships in Istanbul. The athlete from Tübingen prevailed on Friday in the Ataköy Athletics Arena in a thrilling run over 3000 meters in a personal best time of 8:35.87 minutes ahead of 5000-meter European champion Klosterhalfen (Leverkusen/8:36.50).

Thus, two medals went to the German Athletics Association (DLV) at the start of the decisions. Bronze went to Britain's Melissa Courtney-Bryant (8:41.19).

For Klein it is the first international individual title in the hall. Klosterhalfen had traveled with her 8:34.89 minutes from the German Championships as number one of the entry list over 3000 meters to Turkey, her national record is 8:32.47 minutes and remained unchanged. "I know there's still something in there," she had said in advance.

But when Klein passed Klosterhalfen about 100 meters before the finish, the favorite had nothing to oppose. After about a kilometer, Klosterhalfen had significantly increased the pace, only Klein and Courtney-Bryant could keep up. After lurking for a long time in the slipstream of Klosterhalfen, the 29-year-old Klein then successfully sprinted in the last corner. At the German Indoor Championships in Dortmund two weeks ago, Klosterhalfen had the nose ahead of Klein.

Klosterhalfen won her third silver medal at the European Indoor Championships after 2017 over the 1500 meters and 2019 over 3000 meters. The last time a German runner won gold in the 1986 m European Indoor Championships was in Madrid in 3000: At that time, Ines Bibernell-Obst triumphed for the GDR.