Once more on the podium, once again enjoying the applause of the spectators, but now it's over: With third place at the German Indoor Athletics Championships, shot putter Christina Schwanitz drew the line under her glittering career earlier than announced on Saturday.
“Leipzig, you are just great.
That the shot put has such an appreciation because of you," said the 36-year-old to the 1,600 fans a few minutes after her last attempt - she didn't get any further, then Schwanitz shed tears.
But they dried up quickly.
"Everything is finite," said Schwanitz and, after 25 years of competitive sport, was extremely proud of what he had achieved.
She won a complete set of medals at world championships, Schwanitz was European outdoor champion twice, once indoors, and there was also silver at the world championships indoors.
Schwanitz would have liked to have competed in the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade in three weeks, but the best performance of the season of 18.49 meters was only enough for third place.
Sara Gambetta, who came eighth at the Olympics, won her first indoor championship with a personal best of 19.05 meters.
Second was Katharina Maisch with 18.54 meters, who, like Schwanitz, competes for the LV 90 Erzgebirge.
The trio went on a lap of honor, then the German athletics association president Jürgen Kessing and the new Bundestag sports committee chairman Frank Ullrich - once the biathlon Olympic champion - said goodbye to Schwanitz with the bronze medal.
Due to various complaints, she was still behind in training and ultimately had no chance of winning her seventh championship title under the roof of the hall and a short extension of her career.
Actually, she initially wanted to complete the entire season with the World Championships in Eugene in the USA and the European Championships in Munich.
She decided that she had to clear the way for others, Schwanitz explained on ARD and added: "I got an offer that I can't resist." She will stay with the Bundeswehr, become a trainer and "others to motivate sport”.
Her farewell overshadowed the rest of the events of the first day of competition.
The sprint titles over 60 meters went to Tatjana Pinto, who won for the third time, in 7.16 seconds and Lucas Ansah-Peprah in 6.58 seconds.
Returnee Cindy Roleder not only celebrated the first title after her baby break in 8.13 seconds ahead of Monika Zapalska at the same time.
Both also undercut the norm for the World Indoor Championships.
The slightly injured triple jumper Max Hess was enough below average 16.05 meters for the sixth title.
Hurdle sprinter Gregor Traber ran in 7.65 seconds over the 60 meters for the fifth time since 2011 in first place.