The Greatest Little Meeting in the World

You know a meet is great when you throw badly and still enjoy it. That is how I’ve felt after competing at the Sparkassen Fränkisch-Crumbach Hammermeeting the past two years. After returning to the meet this year I can tell you it feels even better when you walk away with a great result.

The Setting
I have a great sense of direction, but I’ve been to Fränkisch-Crumbach three times and I still don’t know exactly where it is. In general terms, the town of 3,000 people lies about an hour south of Frankfurt. But the great American invention of straight roads have yet to arrive to the area so I end up taking a new route each time. When you finally arrive, you feel like you’ve set foot in hammer throwing mecca.

Now the meet doesn’t have the largest budget in the world, the most stars, or even the best results each year. But it brings the best atmosphere I have ever seen. When the Russian federation asked Sergej Litvinov Jr. about the meet, he described it as “a bunch of Germans sit around, drink beer, and watch hammer throwing.” That pretty much describes the scene. This year an estimated 1,500 spectators showed up to watch a world class field headlined by the new women’s world record holder Betty Heidler. In speaking with the meet director, it was a record attendance. The meet has grown each year in its 9 year history and this year they added a larger stage, video screens, and a larger seating area to accomodate more fans.


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11 replies
  1. Jeff
    Jeff says:

    Training must be going well. You look really quick in that video. Hopefully 70m comes soon. Keep it up.

    Reply

Trackbacks & Pingbacks

  1. […] meet on Sunday as Anita Wlodarczyk threw a new world record. Even at the local level meets like the little Fränkisch-Crumbach hammer meet in Germany prove to me that the hammer can be appreciated by a mainstream audience. The hammer throw is […]

  2. […] hammer throw supporter Martin Bingisser calls the Fränkisch-Crumbach hammer throw event the the greatest little meeting in the world. What could be better than a bunch of Germans sitting around in a park drinking beer and watching […]

  3. […] I have competed twice and racked up nearly 600 miles on our rental car. I’ve competed at one of the best speciality meets in the world, won the hammer throw and a watch at the only Swiss Meeting that includes it, caught up with many […]

  4. […] Fränkisch-Crumbach Hammermeeting Martin Bingisser calls this the greatest little meeting in the world. Why? “A bunch of Germans sit around, drink beer, and watch hammer throwing”. What […]

  5. […] said: “You must be Mr. Bingisser.” He then explained to his wife that I had written a great article about Fränkisch-Crumbach on the […]

  6. […] and throws-only meets such as Germany’s Fränkisch-Crumbach (which Martin Bingisser calls The Greatest Little Meeting in the World). I don’t think it’s the solution so much as a solution. The difficulties track and […]

  7. […] but Wlodarczyk. One June 12th, she threw a personal best to place second behind Heidler at the Fränkisch-Crumbach hammer meet. In the twelve weeks since she has competed in just one meet. The decision seems to be by choice […]

  8. […] Competition As was the case last week, I felt very good in warm ups and was ready to go today. My first attempt was strong, but my hammer […]

  9. […] Martin Bingisser on the greatest little meeting in the world. […]

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