Anja Scherl

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Anja Scherl

| image = Anja Scherl 2015-10-04 00267 (22231691570) (cropped).jpg

| caption = Scherl in 2015

| birth_name =

| full_name =

| nationality = German

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1986|4|12|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Amberg, West Germany

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height = 160 cm

| weight = 48 kg

| country = Germany

| sport = Track and field

| event = Marathon

| olympics =

}}

Anja Scherl (born 12 April 1986) is a German long-distance runner who specialises in the marathon. She competed in the women's marathon event at the 2016 Summer Olympics where she finished in 44th place.{{cite web|url=https://www.rio2016.com/en/athlete/anja-scherl |title=Anja Scherl |access-date=15 August 2016 |website=Rio2016.com |publisher=Rio 2016 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160815055436/https://www.rio2016.com/en/athlete/anja-scherl |archive-date=15 August 2016 }}

Scherl finished well in the marathon, but her success was overshadowed by Anna and Lisa Hahner who controversially crossed the finishing line together at position 81 and 82. They were accused of trying to attract media attention, and they did get more coverage than Scherl.{{cite news |url=http://www.news.com.au/sport/olympics/sisters-anna-and-lisa-hahner-have-divided-opinion-in-rio/news-story/9e7bc3f03c21aadaed4224ec328d73c9 |title=Sisters Anna and Lisa Hahner have infuriated a nation |date=17 August 2016 |website=News.com.au |publisher=News Pty Limited |access-date=17 August 2016}}

Life

In 2007, Anja Scherl was persuaded to take up running by her then boyfriend and later husband,{{Cite web |last=Wotruba |first=Claus-Dieter |title=Scherl: Plötzlich ist Olympia ein Thema |url=http://www.mittelbayerische.de/sport-nachrichten/scherl-ploetzlich-ist-olympia-ein-thema-21510-art1367243.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160419111640/http://www.mittelbayerische.de/sport-nachrichten/scherl-ploetzlich-ist-olympia-ein-thema-21510-art1367243.html |archive-date=2016-04-19}} who was also a former marathon runner; she had already jogged occasionally and played volleyball before that. Originally she wanted to start running marathons straight away, but her then coach at DJK Weiden sent her to run middle distances first.{{Cite web |last=Reng |first=Franziska |date=February 17, 2015 |title=Ten kilometers with Anja. |url=http://www.lg-telis-finanz.de/50-aktuelles/6496-zehn-kilometer-mit-anja |website=LG Telis Finanz |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160419111642/http://www.lg-telis-finanz.de/50-aktuelles/6496-zehn-kilometer-mit-anja |archive-date=2016-04-19 |access-date=April 19, 2016}}

After a year at LAC Quelle Fürth, she moved to PSV Grün-Weiß Kassel in 2012, with whom she won her first medals at German championships as part of the team. After winning the 2012 South German Championships over 5000 meters and a surprising fourth place at the 2012 German Championships over 10 km,{{Cite web |date=17 September 2012 |title=PSV women run to the runner-up title |url=Hessische/Niedersächsische Allgemeine |access-date=19 April 2016}} made her marathon debut in 2014 at the Hamburg Marathon with a time of 2:48:08 h. In Husum, she became German runner-up in the half-marathon in 2015, and again in Hanover in 2017.

In 2016, Scherl became known to the public through her third place in the Hamburg Marathon and a time of 2:27:50 h, which also meant qualification for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

References

External links

{{sports links}}

Category:1986 births

Category:Living people

Category:Place of birth missing (living people)

Category:German female long-distance runners

Category:German female marathon runners

Category:Olympic female marathon runners

Category:Olympic athletes for Germany

Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2016 Summer Olympics

Category:German national athletics champions

Category:Sportspeople from Amberg

Category:Athletes from Bavaria

Category:21st-century German sportswomen