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Ready for big things: Marie Celie Warneke from FTSV Jahn Brinkum. © Warneke
What a success for Marie Celie Warneke: The athlete from FTSV Jahn Brinkum celebrated her long-awaited qualification for the U20 World Championships in Peru. Why the 19-year-old with an Australian and German passport is competing for “Team D”, what goal she is pursuing in Lima and what coach Klaus Lange appreciates about her.
Brinkum – The tartan track in Koblenz is still slightly damp from the rain that fell shortly before the race. The sky is overcast, a cool breeze blows through the stadium. The atmosphere is electric as the athletes gather in the last corner of the 800-meter final of the German U20 Championship. Among them: Marie Celie Warneke.
Qualification for U20 World Cup in Lima
As the race finally approaches the home straight, the 19-year-old athlete from FTSV Jahn Brinkum noticeably picks up the pace. The audience holds its breath as she pulls away from her competitors with a powerful sprint. She crosses the finish line first. The time: 2:05.36 minutes. A victory that is not only the crowning glory of a tough competition, but also confirmation of her qualification for the U20 World Championships in Lima, Peru.
Ready for big things: Marie Celie Warneke from FTSV Jahn Brinkum. © Warneke
Warneke: “Now I’ve finally done it”
For the middle-distance runner, who was born in Bremen and grew up in Stuhr before her family moved to Australia for professional reasons, this moment means much more than just a sporting triumph. “It was an indescribable feeling when I crossed the finish line. I ran like I always do and everything went wonderfully,” the newly crowned German champion sums up: “I was really happy.” Her plan was to qualify for the World Championships – and it worked. “When I crossed the finish line first, I just thought: ‘Now I’ve finally done it.'”
For Warneke, this success was anything but a given. In early summer, she was still struggling with persistent pneumonia and was unable to train for weeks. “I didn’t know where I stood,” she explained after the gold race, visibly relieved and happy.
Warneke’s journey began in the northern German lowlands, but her sporting career took off down under. In Australia, she developed her passion for middle distance running and worked tirelessly to improve her times.
Marie Celie Warneke (front) from Brinkum is the German U20 champion over 800 m and is now flying to the World Championships. © Ralf Görlitz
Warneke sees better future opportunities in Germany
The connection to Germany ultimately led Warneke, who has both Australian and German passports, to decide to return to Europe in spring 2024. Since July 5, 2024, she has been officially eligible to compete for the German Athletics Association. The Australian association was left behind. Although she is emotionally attached to both countries, Germany offers better future opportunities for athletes. In addition, the number of competitions in Germany and Europe is much higher than in faraway Australia, which was another main reason for her decision.
Since then, she has taken the national athletics scene by storm. Her impressive time of 2:04.81 minutes, with which she won the Australian U20 title in Adelaide in April, paved the way for her to the World Championships – but it was only her victory in Koblenz that finally secured her qualification.
Coach Lange describes Warneke as a “fighter”
Her Brinkum trainer, Klaus Lange, who has been looking after her since her return, describes her as an athlete with an incredible will and a strong mentality. “Marie is a fighter,” he says. “Even after her pneumonia, which put her out of training for four weeks, she never gave up. She worked hard to get fit again – and you can see that in her performance at the German Championships.”
The victory in Koblenz was no coincidence, but the result of a clever racing strategy. “I didn’t want to risk anything in the preliminary round,” Warneke explains her moderate winning time of 2:15.35 minutes in the preliminary round. “My goal was to safely qualify for the final and then give it my all there.” The fact that she kept her nerve at the decisive moment and left her opponents behind in the final sprint is testament to her tactical maturity and determination.
Marie Celie Warneke from FTSV Jahn Brinkum © Warneke
The World Cup in Peru will take place at the end of August
Now her journey continues: At the end of August (26th to 31st), Warneke will compete in the World Championships in Peru. Looking at her season’s best, her chances of another medal appear promising. She already beat the World Championship standard of 2:07.50 minutes with a personal best in April. Now she has the chance to set another milestone in her young career in Lima. In the training centers of the Villa Deportiva Nacional, the National Sports Village of Peru, she will compete against the best young athletes in the world. Her impressive track record gives hope for an exciting and successful World Championship.
My big goal is to take part in the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028.
But before the time comes and she flies from Frankfurt to the Andean state with “Team D” on August 21, the young athlete is preparing intensively with her trainer in Brinkum. In the land of the Incas, she wants to achieve her best performance and finish as high as possible in the 800-meter run. “The time I ran in Adelaide should definitely be enough for the final. And then we’ll see what place I end up in,” says Warneke confidently, and in the medium term she even dreams of more: “My goal is to take part in the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028.” For comparison: The qualification standard for the 2024 Olympics was 1:59.30 minutes. “I’m sure that I can do it if I keep training consistently and stay injury-free. Maybe next year. Last year in training I already managed to run under two minutes.”
Before that, the athletics world will be looking eagerly to Peru as Marie Celie Warneke tries to continue her success at international level. The 19-year-old, who discovered her passion for running in Australia and now competes for Germany, could soon be one of the big names in middle-distance running with her commitment and talent. The trip to Peru is not only a sporting challenge for her, but also another step on her way to securing a place among the best young athletes in the world.
