Germany’s former Olympic and world discus champion Robert Harting has been granted the chance to say farewell in top international competition at next month’s European Athletics Championships on home turf in Berlin.
The 33-year-old, who won Olympic gold in London and was the reigning world champion from 2011-2015, only managed third at the German championships last weekend.
Nevertheless, he is included in the 128-strong squad named by the German Athletics Federation (DLV) for the European championships at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium from August 6-12.
Harting will be battling his younger brother Christoph Harting, 28, the current Olympic discus champion, and Olympic bronze medallist Daniel Jasinski, who finished ahead of him in the national champs.
Germany also have strength in depth in the men’s javelin with Thomas Roehler, the reigning Olympic champion, going up against Johannes Vetter, the 2017 world champion, in Berlin.
Robert Harting, who is famous for his shirt-ripping celebrations, is to retire at the end of the season and his final appearance will be the ISTAF event in Berlin on September 2.