Kambundji has been suffering for months: “It’s almost easier if you break your foot”

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Sometimes her left foot even hurts when she walks to the supermarket: Mujinga Kambundji (31) has been suffering from it for months. “I don’t want to cry,” she says. “But it’s not easy right now.” Because a sprinter who can’t trust her feet has a problem. The resident of Bern has been suffering from inflammation in the plantar fascia for months. It hurts and therefore she can train less.

She has only competed in two competitions this summer, most recently on Thursday in Lucerne, when she started over 100 m (11.24 seconds). She will no longer run the 200m or the relay this season as she finds the tension in the corner compounding the problems.

“It’s not the worst pain in the world,” she describes her inflammation. It is also not always the same force and not always in the same place: stabbing in the tendon, rather dull on the heel, but sometimes also sharp there. Painkiller? Only partially usable. At Athletissima in Lausanne in June, the foot hurt despite medication, but the pain is less present at the moment. “But it’s often so strong that I can’t fully pull the trigger.” But that would be important for running fast.

Dealing with pain is a balancing act

And so the fastest woman Switzerland has ever seen has a balancing act ahead of it. «There is no recipe. You should not completely relieve the foot, but you should not put any weight on it either. I don’t know how many times over the last few months we’ve made a workout schedule for the week and then couldn’t stick to it. You need a plan B for everything.”

After all: during the meeting in Lucerne, the time was right given that it only started for the second time. And in the days before and the day after she was practically free of complaints. A good sign? “I am currently taking it day by day. Just because I’m not in pain doesn’t mean everything is okay. But at least it didn’t get any worse. I had to learn not to plan too far into the future. I gave that up for this season.”

Why a broken foot would be easier

These are new feelings for Kambundji, who has been on the rise for the past two years, literally rushing from success to success. Never before has a Swiss woman been as fast in the sprint as the woman from Bern. In 2022 she set new Swiss records in the 60m, 100m and 200m, won gold (200m) and silver (100m) at the European Championships in Munich, sprinted to the 100m final at the Outdoor World Championships, became world champion in the 60m indoor and set the fourth best time in history, winning sprint gold at the European Indoor Championships this spring.

She wants to go there again. And for that she needs patience. For example, looking for the causes. Inflammations in the plantar fascia can be a matter of the load, the upholstery, the shoes, can be the result of an incorrect position of the foot or an incorrect load, which in turn can be the result of an incorrect position or technical errors. Figuring out where the problem is coming from is difficult. In the meantime, it’s about dosing the training correctly. Because there is one scenario she absolutely wants to avoid. “You’re in pain, you subconsciously avoid it and make it worse,” she describes her main concern. “Sometimes it’s almost easier if you break your foot. Then the problem is clear and the foot can grow back together.”

Is a seasonal interruption a problem for Kambundji?

However, there is still hope that things will get better soon. “There are always ups and downs, now it’s just a longer one. But this won’t go on forever. Sometimes there are difficult stages in life where things don’t go smoothly and you have to stick to them and look for solutions. Everyone knows that, why should I be an exception?”

Even among athletes, she is no exception. Many other athletes before her have struggled with this injury. Kambundji’s problems started last summer and she was able to control the pain. “You just don’t know how long it’s going to take, that makes it difficult. In some athletes, the pain suddenly went away without knowing exactly why.”

That is also Kambundji’s dream scenario. Until then, she is preparing for the World Cup in Budapest (Hungary) in August. Canceling the season is not up for debate as long as she realizes the inflammation is subsiding. If not, the topic can come up again. Because one goal is above all: the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. “Of course I have the competitions in mind. This year is important, next year even more important. That is why I want to be able to start the preparations in October.” Because for a fast Olympic year, Kambundji needs two feet she can trust.

Source : Blick