It was a dramatic finish at last week’s Ironman 70.3 European Championship in Jönköping, where German athletes Caroline Pohle and Lena Meissner crossed the line side by side. Initially, Meissner was declared the winner. However, following a protest by Pohle, Ironman officials reviewed the footage and ruled in her favor. Hours later, Pohle was awarded the win – and the European title. Since then, however, she has become the target of hate on social media.
Pohle filed the protest on the grounds that she was impeded by Meissner during the final sprint, which she claimed prevented her from making a decisive push for the win. After carefully analyzing the race footage, Ironman’s jury agreed, and Pohle was named the rightful champion. Meissner was thus relegated to second place.
But while the ruling may have clarified the result, it has also sparked controversy. A few days after the race, Pohle’s management released a statement addressing the growing wave of online criticism and vitriol directed at the athlete.
“Right now, Caro is facing a lot of criticism and hate on social media”, the statement read. “This completely overlooks the fact that she is also just a human being. Every athlete has the right to file a protest, and the decision was made by an independent jury.”
The statement also emphasized that the protest was not personal. “Caro especially wants to emphasize that she would have preferred a different outcome herself and that the protest was not directed at Lena Meißner personally. Instead, it was a hard-fought competition at the highest level. Both athletes shaped the race and both would have deserved the European title based on their performance. Disagreements and referee decisions are part of the sport – even if they are not always pleasant.”
