German duo pull out of Championships
Germany have been forced to find late replacements for Danny Ecker and Ruwen Faller who both on Wednesday pulled out of the squad for the European Indoor Championships in Madrid this weekend.
Pole-vaulter Ecker will not make the trip after being laid low by flu and his place has been given to Bjorn Otto, who was fourth at the German indoor championships and had already attained the qualifying mark for the event but missed out behind the leading three from Sindelfingen.
Faller was due to compete in the men’s 4x400-metre relay but has been forced to pull out with an ankle injury.
Christian Duma takes his place in what remains a 36-man squad travelling to the Spanish capital.
The original 38-man squad had been reduced due to the earlier withdrawals of female shot-putter Astrid Kumbernuss and 3,000-metre runner Jan Fitschen, although no replacements had been found for the pair.
