One of the best track and field athletes in South Tyrol is retiring

Kirchler, who has been plagued by bad luck with injuries over the last two seasons and has not competed since April 12, 2019, can look back on an extraordinary athletics career. The 1,94m tall discus thrower won gold at the “Assoluti” ten times (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017), and he won the Italian Winter Championships three times (2007, 2014 and 2017 ). His greatest sporting success was certainly reaching the final at the 2016 European Championships in Amsterdam, where Kirchler finished in an outstanding 63.74th place with 10 m. Kirchler also took part in the European Championships in 2006, 2014 and 2018. In Berlin two years ago he came 18th.

Hannes Kirchler is one of the best South Tyrolean track and field athletes of all time. © Taba

Kirchler set his record in South Tyrol The Merano native, who has been a member of the Carabinieri sports group since 1999, set his personal best in 2007 in Bolzano, where he broke the 65.01 m mark for the first time with 65 m. In Italy, only Marco Martino (67.62 m), Marco Bucci (66.96), Giovanni Faloci (65.30) and his former coach Silvano Simeon (65.10) threw further than him. In 2007, Kirchler qualified for the World Championships in Osaka, Japan, where he came 21st. It was to be his only World Cup participation. The following year, the likeable Merano native took part in the Olympic Games in Beijing. However, he didn't get past 33rd place there.

Kirchler has also taken part in the European Winter Throwing Cup seven times in his career, most recently three years ago in Las Palmas, where he finished seventh as captain of the Italian national team. He achieved his best result in Yalta in 2007 when he came fourth with 61.58 m.

Kirchler won his last medal two years ago at the Mediterranean Games in Tarragona, Spain. He won bronze with 60.64 m. For Kirchler it was the first podium at his third Mediterranean Games. In 2005 in Almería he failed to make it into the rankings with three invalid throws, while in 2009 in Pescara he missed the podium by just six centimeters and came fourth with 59.13 m. Kirchler started a total of 37 times for the Italian national team. This is what Kirchler's future plans look like Now the Merano native begins a three-month Carabinieri training course. “Of course, it's always difficult to draw a line in the sand. But I'm not getting any younger either; I made the decision to end my career this year at the beginning of the year. It's a shame because I wanted to end this season with the Olympics. The association will be re-elected in January, then I hope to perhaps be able to train the national discus team, that would really interest me,” said Kirchler.

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One of the best track and field athletes in South Tyrol is retiring

Discus thrower Hannes Kirchler, one of the most successful South Tyrolean track and field athletes of all time, has ended his career. The 41-year-old from Merano announced his resignation on social media and at the same time spoke about his future plans.

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