2013-07-19

Daniel Böhm interview

Today we travel back to one of the biggest nation in the world of biathlon. We visit Germany again and after Erik Lesser, now we have interview with Daniel Böhm.

BFH: Dear, Daniel, thank you to accept our interview request. How are you? How do you spend your preparation time?

Daniel: Hi, I‘m pretty fine until now and really satisfied with the first 3 months of the preparation. We did a lot of endurance-training on the bike, in running or on the rollerskis and also absolved several hours of strength training. In the upcoming weeks the intensive sessions will come more and more to increase the speed.

BFH: You had a fantastic season in last year. You were 2nd in the IBU Cups total score, and in Oslo after a good result you were getting into a mass start competition. How can you summarize your season? Are you satisfied with your performance?

Daniel: The facts may sound quite acceptable on the first view but honestly I was not really satisfied with the season because my skiing-performance was really bad and absolutely not competitive. I did some mistakes during the summer and was really tired in the season. The positive thing was that I could develop in the shooting part what saved some good results. It was not easy to switch the focus completely on the shooting range but in the end I was able to handle it well.

BFH: After your good results I think you have chance to stabilize yourself in the A-team. Is it a possible goal for you for the next season?

Daniel: This absolutely the main goal for the next season. It is the Olympic season and I want to give everything to be part of the German team in Sotchi 2014. I know that I can reach this goal by working concentrated and clever in the training to develop on the tracks and by keeping up the level of the last season at the shooting range.

BFH: In 2009 in Vancouver you reached your best result in a World Cup race in Vancouver. In the individual you came in 2nd position, and you defeated the biggest names. Are you good memories from this race?

Daniel: This was really a great day for me. I remember that I felt not good in the morning and was tired from the jetlag but the conditions were perfect with -5 degrees and sun, so it was not hard to motivate for the race. I felt great on the tracks, had super-fast skis and was relaxed and secure at the shooting range. All the important parts of a race came together at this day. Remembering that race still gives me motivation and power to keep on working.

BFH: What's your main goal in your career? Have you ever think about it?

Daniel: The main goal is to reach my personal best. I guess it‘s not easy to say what this is worth because I never felt like I reached my limit. I want to be able to fight for top-results over a whole season and to win a medal at a big event!

BFH: When did you start your career, and what was your best and your worse memories?

Daniel: I started with xc-skiing when I was 6 and changed to biathlon at the age of 12. During a sports-career you have a lot of good and bad memories and it‘s often like a rollercoaster and seldom just straight up. The best memories are for sure victories like the junior-champs, the individual in Whistler or the relay in Antholz 2011. The worst memories are mostly combined with injuries or sickness like 2011, when I started to train in April really motivated after a good season and broke my hand at a crash. Then you need a lot of power to fight!

BFH: Biathlon have a lot of competitions like sprint, individual, pursuit, mass start, relay. Which is your favourite and why?

Daniel: Every race has it‘s special „character“. I prefer the pursuit and mass start because you can fight face to face and it‘s four times shooting. And for sure relays are always something special because you compete as a team, which has a special spirit.

BFH: Biathlon have a very big popularity in Germany. I suppose to be a German biathlete is a very good feeling, but also responsibility. Do you agree?

Daniel: We have a good situation in Germany as athletes and especially biathlon is quite popular. This means that we get paid for the sport and can concentrate 100% on the training. To have a responsibility can be a weight on your shoulders but it‘s also a great chance to motivate and inspire young people to get out and fight for a goal.

BFH: In the summer season will you start in any competition? Do you go to the WCH to Italy?

Daniel: We have the Nationals in september on rollerskis with 6 races in 10 days. Some of the team will go to Püttlingen but I guess too many competitions in the summer are not good for the training. So I will just do the Nationals.

BFH: Now, please tell to us something about you. What do you usually like to do when you have some free times? Have you got some hobbies?

Daniel: Honestly there is not so much time for many hobbies but I like to be outside in the nature to relax and switch off. This can be climbing, hiking in the mountains or ski-touring in the winter. Beside this I like to read and just to relax or to meet some friends.

BFH: We would like to thank you the inteview, and we wish all the best for you. Finally, have you got some special message to the Hungarian fans?

Daniel: You‘re welcome! I don‘t know so much about the situation of biathlon in Hungary but it‘s nice to have athletes from all over the world, so keep on working hard and enjoy what you‘re doing!!

We hope the best for Daniel during his career!

Photo: Jarle Vines (Creative Commons Attribution Sharealike 3.0)


2013-07-15

Susan Dunklee interview

We had interviews from Canada and from the USA, but we don’t stop to introduce the athletes from North America. Why? Because they are all very sympathic and have real passion for biathlon. Let’s talk now with the promising US talent, Susan Dunklee!

BFH: Susan, let’s move back to the year 2008, your move to Lake Placid and the US Biathlon’s development program. It was only 5 years ago when you learnt how to shoot! How do you remember this time? Did you thought that you will need only 4 years to reach a top 5 position in a WCH (Ruhpolding, individual, 2012)?

Susan: In spring of 2008, I was graduating college with a degree in ecology and I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. Then I got an unexpected email from US Biathlon offering me a place on their development team in exchange for a 100% commitment to training. I had never shot before but they promised to teach me how. I had a difficult time deciding what to do. Ski racing had always been important to me, but in school I had pursued many other interests too. Concentrating all my resources and energy into racing was scary- I had to put aside those other interests. It was also exhilarating to try something new- I had no idea what shooting training would be like or whether I could do it well. My father, a two time Olympian in cross country skiing, gave me some great words of advice: "If you don't try it, you are always going to wonder 'what if?' " I knew he was right. I certainly never expected to be standing on stage at a World Championships awards ceremony less than four years later.

BFH: What were your feelings after you crossed the finish line in that race? You started with bib nr 1: when you arrived you had to wait a long time to celebrate… Did you thought that your performance will bring you such a good position (which meant actually the best result ever by a US woman)?

Susan: When I saw my name at the top of the start list the night before the race, I wasn't happy. Earlier in the week, I had been the very last starter in the sprint (bib 118). I normally prefer starting in the middle of the pack. However, starting first helped me get in the zone and ski my own pace. I knew I was shooting well, but I had no idea where I was ranked until the fourth lap. Skiing under a jumbotron I heard the announcer say "...surprise race leader so far, American Susan Dunklee..." My heart jumped up into my throat. All I could do at that point was just focus on putting one foot in front of the other. The last loop I was fighting for a medal and it was like skiing through a continuous tunnel of sound- the cheering had doubled in volume. At the finish I didn't know exactly where I would end up, but I knew that I had just had the best race of my life and that felt great!

BFH: What were your best moments of your last season?

Susan: For the second year in a row, my most memorable race of the season was the World Championships Individual. I wanted to have a magical day in Nove Mesto- the Ruhpolding result from the previous year was still fresh in my mind and this year the Individual was on my birthday. I shot well and was in the top 10 for much of the last loop, but I was too aggressive and crashed on the big downhill. I broke my custom rifle stock. It was very disappointing but things turned out okay. Even though I lost time and didn't finish in the top 10, I placed 15th and met US Biathlon's prequalification standard for the Olympic Team (2 top 15s). Anschütz and my coach helped me fix my rifle stock before the relay- we replaced the broken part with a piece of wood from a range broom handle. It was a unique and interesting project. I didn't miss any targets in the relay- the broom wood helped me "clean" my first World Cup race.

BFH: Tell us a few words about Sochi: the course, the accomodation, the Olympic spirit… You (and also Annelies) did a great individual there!

Susan: The Sochi course is not a typical World Cup biathlon course. It has bigger, tougher, more technical hills. Many athletes didn't approve of it. Our team approached the Sochi World Cup ready to adapt and to make that course "our course." I think that showed in our results.

BFH: You wrote on your site: „Our women’s relay team achieved a top ten finish in 2013 and we know we are still capable of more. To do this, we need every individual performing at their highest potential. We push each other in practice all year long in order to bring out each individual’s best, and we know we must be there for each other during this challenging but exciting year. We are a strong team.” I am sure that this confidence in yourself and in your team will bring you a successful Olympic Games. You think even a medal is possible for you?

Susan: On both our men's and women's team, I believe we have multiple people capable of medaling if they have a perfect day, myself included.

BFH: We talked already with Annelies that your team is a real family. Tell us one special thing that you regularly do during the winters as a team? For example cooking or birthday parties, whatever…

Susan: We do cook on occasion and we always celebrate birthdays for all of our athletes, coaches, wax techs, etc. Last summer in Oberhof we borrowed Andrea's kitchen to bake a flourless chocolate birthday cake. Baking in Europe is often an adventure- for example the measuring cups are in different units than we are used to and there are no chocolate chips (an American staple) in the grocery store. We have to be creative.
I think my favorite team memories come around the dinner table, especially in a place like Antholz where we all eat together around one big long table. Those meals are several courses long, so we have lots of time to get into deep discussions or just joke around. I always leave the dinner table feeling great because I have laughed so much.


BFH: Tell us a few words about your last couple of months! If I know well you had some very special trip between the trainings: Hollywood, Alaska…

Susan: I had a busy April. I did some cross country ski races in northern California and got to race against top athletes like Kikkan Randall and Jessie Diggins. The US women's Nordic program has had incredible success the last few years and their results help inspire the biathlon team too. I find it is helpful to race and train with them on occasional.
Then I went up to arctic Alaska to teach skiing to kids in an Inupiat Eskimo village through a program called NANANordic. The area is so remote that we had to fly in on a small bush plane because there are no roads. I stayed in a school for a week with other volunteer instructors. The kids loved the program- they were always happy to see us (we would get "death by hugging" first thing in the morning) and it was hard to convince them to take off their skis at the end of the day. While we were there, we tried all sorts of local foods like caribou, whale blubber and arctic swan. When that program finished, I traveled down to southern California for an Olympic media day in Hollywood. Coming from the arctic, that was a huge culture shock. It was hard to believe I was still in the same country.


BFH: Where are you and what are you doing now? What is the training plan for the following couple of months?

Susan: During the summer, I split my time training between Lake Placid, New York (site of the 1980 Olympics and head quarters of the National Team) and Craftsbury, Vermont (the ski club that I grew up in.) Every couple weeks, I switch locations. I like training in Lake Placid because the team and coaches are there, and the facilities are great. However, Craftsbury is home and it is my favorite place in the world. It is a small, rural village with farms, green hills, outdoorsy people and a great sense of community. I am part of a local professional team of skiers and rowers called the "Craftsbury Green Racing Project." In between training sessions, we work on projects promoting sustainability and endurance sports in our local community. It's important to have something meaningful to focus on besides training all the time.

BFH: You wrote that in Nove Mesto „we were all very surprised by the number of spectators that came to watch the races- it felt a lot like Ruhpolding or Oberhof.” Do you have some special memories of the Hungarian fans? Maybe from your birthday?

Susan: Yes, I remember the Hungarian fans are very enthusiastic singers. As I left the finishing pen, they called me over and sang Happy Birthday. Thanks guys, that was a wonderful end to a special day!

Thank you for your answers and the specially dedicated bib from Nove Mesto!!! We wish you all the best for the preparation!!!


Panagiota Tsakiri interview

Today we travel to South again. Our next target is the always sunny Greece, a little nation again. We have interview with a pretty young woman who is just 23 years old, but already have memories from Winter Olympic Games. Yes, today we asked Panagiota Tsakiri.

BFH: Dear Giota, thank you to accept our request. How are you now, and how do you spend your summer?

Giota:.Thank you for your request and your interest! The world of biathlon are mostly interested in the dominant athletes and countries, so it was such a nice surprise that you wanted to know about my little story.
I am very good, spending the summer with my family in my hometown, here in Greece.


BFH: Will we see you in some summer competition or you prepare yourself only for the winter season?

Giota:.I am getting ready to start at the Rollerski World Cup in Tripoli, Greece, during next weekend. There are also some international and Balkan biathlon races during summer that I would like to race, as it would be good chances for training, but that depends on our federation’s financial support.

BFH: You are very young, but you already took part in Olympic Games. You started in Vancouver in two competitions. You were only 19. What did you feel? How did you live it? Please tell us some words about your feelings...

Giota:.Vancouver was my 2nd Olympic experience. The first time was in Torino 2006 where I competed in cross country. Words are not enough to describe such an experience…I was just 16 years old back then and thrilled to have accomplished to qualify for the Olympics, so I really enjoyed it.
The Olympic Games in Vancouver were very special to me. I qualified and started in biathlon but I had with me the most special teammate; my father! After a great career of 26 years in CC and biathlon, he accomplished his 5th Olympic participation and we managed to achieve the World Record of “father & daughter racing together in Winter Olympic Games”. I have never felt prouder before, no matter which were our standings after finish, anyway we are not professionals. The most important thing is participation. And my Olympic participations are the most amazing experiences I have ever had!


BFH: You raced there and also race now with the biggest names in the World like Magdalena Neuner, Tora Berger, Olga Zaitseva, Helena Ekholm, Kaisa Mäkäräinen etc. ... Have you ever got plus motivation during the races and the trainings?

Giota:.Yes, I did have the honor of racing together with great athletes. I admire them and their effort and always feels so huge and exciting to race together with so successful biathletes.

BFH: Next year is an Olympic season too. How do you see your chances for Sochi?

Giota:.Unfortunately, my chances for biathlon for Sochi are small. Until now, I do not have any female teammates able to race with me in World Championships so Greece’s Nation Cup Score is poor in comparison to other countries. Moreover, IBU allows only to the first 28 countries to compete in the Olympic Games which is quite disappointing...Olympic Games are the greatest celebration for the sport and all countries should be able to compete.
Although, I am not giving up and I am going to prepare myself as good as possible for the upcoming winter.


BFH: What's your B-plan? What objectives would you like to perform in the next season? Where can your fans meet with you?

Giota:.My B-plan is cross-country skiing. I was always racing in cross-country races together with biathlon. Therefore, during season 2013/14 I would like to compete in the three IBU Cups before Christmas as well as in some cross-country competitions in order to try my chances in cross-country for Sochi. Although, my schedule is not fixed yet as it depends on the financial support from our federation and my time off from work!

BFH: When did you start your career, and why did you choose specially biathlon? What was your most memorable moments in your career?

Giota:.I started cross-country skiing in 2004 at the age of 14 and biathlon in 2008. My mother and father were biathletes, actually my father is still active so he “is” a biathlete for more than 25 years now. He encouraged me to give it a try and I realized how interesting and exciting biathlon was. My qualification for Vancouver Winter Olympic Games together with the person who was the reason to start biathlon, my teammate, my trainer and my father is the most memorable moment in my career.

BFH: Greece is also a little nation in biathlon. Is this sport popular in your country? How do you train? Are any condition perfect to prepare yourself successfully?

Giota:.Biathlon is not popular in Greece. We do have some small mountains and Greeks are aware of skiing but Hellas is not a country with tradition in winter sports. There is NO shooting range, our training camps are less and shorter due to national financial problems, there are not funds for ammunition, so conditions are not that unique. Me, as well as my teammates are not professionals, each one of us has studies, work etc. And we may not be among the leading countries or athletes, our chances in preparation may not be the same, but we do share a common thing; our love and passion for the sport.

BFH: The union between the athletes of little nation is more stronger than the top athletes. With which nations do you have the best relationship? Who is your best friend from the athletes?

Giota:.That’s true! We also help each other during competitions as we share the same shooting lanes and wax rooms. So, we get closer and we become friends. Unfortunately, due to university studies and work I did not spend a very long time during winter season together with the other athletes, until now. But I can tell that it is always very nice to see our biathlon friends from Bulgaria, Macedonia, Bosnia, Turkey, Nederlands, Spain, Greenland and of course Hungary(!) who where cheering for me in the tracks this year in Nove Mesto and I am grateful for that!

BFH: How did you spend your rest time in spring? You traveled to somewhere, or you were with your friends and family? What do you usually like to do?

Giota:.Spring was half work and half studies time for me. I had long exams as I am about to finish with my university studies in Physical Education. Now, having more free time, I will focus on the summer preparation and hoping that I will have some days off for summer holidays in Greek islands during August
I really love spending time with my family and good friends, I enjoy popcorn and movies and alpine skiing as well as other sports in the nature.


BFH: We'd like to say thank you again, we hope you a good preparation and a sucessful season. Finally, have you got some special messages to the Hungarian fans?

Giota:.Thank you for your interest! Keep sharing your love for the sport and I hope to see each other on the tracks!
Greetings from Greece!!!
Panagiota Tsakiris


Special thanks for this picture, because it was made specially for us in today morning's training!


Megan Imrie interview

„I need your help” – writes Megan Imrie on her personal website. Why? How? We ask her now and try to help – because the Canadian team is one of the most sympathic one!

Megan, quite actual information that Biathlon Canada has financial problems and you, the athletes have to find sponsors in order to have all the necessary things to be successful in Sochi. Can you explain us this strange situation?

Biathlon Canada is a very small organization when compared to other winter Olympic sports in Canada. The organization has not attracted sponsors, and isn’t funded to the extent that is needed. Not even close. This means the athletes must pay for coaching, training, and facilities with a National Team Fee, and for racing tours in the winter. Myself, nor my family has money enough to pay for these huge expenses. So I have no choice but to try to find money with sponsors or through something like www.pursu.it

To tell you the truth in Hungary our athletes have the same problem – but for us seems incredible that in a two times Winter Olympic country you can be in such a financial situation. What can be the solution? How can we help you?

The more people who know about www.pursu.it, the better. Donations or sponsorship through pursu.it , or letting people know about the website who might donate, is the easiest way to help. The other is to support your own biathlon team. The more biathlon works as a community to better their associations, the more we will grow as individual nations.

You had better and better results and two top 20 finish in the 2011/2012 season. You skipped the last season – can you tell us the reason?

I had a tough training year that stressed my immune system to the max. In training I was often sick or even injured. I think it was too much training, too little recovery. This caused a bunch of medical issues (hormone levels, blood values, major fatigue) that could only be resolved with plenty of rest. I took the season off to recover my body.

What is the result you would be satisfied with in Sochi? What do you think in which discipline you have the best chance?

I would be satisfied with a top 15 result in Sochi. I think the individual or the pursuit could be my best chance.

Where and how do you train in this phase of your preparation?

Our team is based out of Canmore, Alberta. We train as a team about 5x per week with intensity or shooting and strength. We do plenty of long distance rollerskiing, or even ski in the mountains here until mid-June.

Finally, please send to our small biathlon community a special message! Why should all people support you and biathlon?:)

Athletes love to give back to their community. Working in schools with kids is so much fun for me, and kids now need motivation to be active and do sport. Biathlon is such a fun sport- we need to inspire the stars of tomorrow.

Thank you for your answers and we wish you all the best for the preparation and finding sponsors!!!

http://meganimrie.com/2013/06/i-need-your-help/

Martina Beck interjú (magyar)

Alighanem az eddigi legkülönlegesebb, legexkluzívabb interjúnk következik: egy igazi biatlonos ikon válaszol a magyar szurkolói csoportnak.

Ivett amellett, hogy interjút adott nekünk, egy hihetetlenül nagylelkű felajánlást is tett, segítségével egy korábbi világsztárt kérdezhetünk: következzen Martina Beck!


Martina, köszönjük, hogy rendelkezésünkre állsz! Mindenekelőtt mondj pár szót Ivettel való ismeretségedről: mióta tartjátok ezt a szoros kapcsolatot?

Már nem is tudom ... ezer éve... Akkoriban Uschin keresztül ismertem meg, sőt volt még velünk edzőtáborban is a Dachstein gleccsernél, velünk edzett. Amikor januárban 3 napot sífutni voltam Ramsauban, meg is látogattam. A második gyerekeink 2 hét különbséggel születtek. Így nagyon jó és hasznos találkozás volt hisz a gyerekekkel kapcsolatban is ki tudtuk cserélni tapasztalatainkat.

Egy egészen fantasztikus karrier a Tiéd: tizenegy évad a világkupában, számtalan nagy verseny és dobogós helyezés a biatlon történelem valaha volt legerősebb német csapatának tagjaként. Milyen érzés volt a sok tehetséges versenyző közül első németként összetett világkupát nyerni éppen tíz évvel ezelőtt?

Igen, a 2002/2003-as szezon fantasztikus volt. Akkoriban a 2002-es Olimpia után eléggé csalódott voltam, hogy csak az egyéniben kaptam indulási jogot, ahol 7. lettem. Ezt követő nyáron nagyon jól tudtam edzeni- szinte mániákusan és ennek meg is lett a gyümölcse.. Az, hogy akkoriban az első német voltam, aki VK összetettet nyert- őszintén szólva ez engem nem érdekelt.

Ebben a szezonban nyerted első világbajnoki címedet is – egy emlékezetes üldözőverseny végén, holtversenyben Sandrine Bailly-val. Hogy élted meg ezt a győzelmet, a verseny utáni pillanatokat? Milyen érzés volt együtt állni a dobogó tetején?

Na igen, ez ekkoriban teljesen kaotikus volt...... teljesen együtt értünk át a célvonalon és az eredményjelző táblán még 5 perc múlva sem volt világos, melyikünk nyert, mivel a versenyidőnk egyforma volt. Egyszer én voltam az első, majd ismét mind a ketten, és ez így ment ide-oda..... végül Világbajnok lettem és Sandrine az egyforma idő ellenére 2. Még a győztes kihirdetésénél is egyedüli győztesként voltam megnevezve. Többször elnézést kértem Sandrine-tól, mert egyáltalán nem találtam igazságosnak, és ezt a sajtótájékoztatón is elmondtam. Eközben jött egy telefonhívás, miután Janiz azt mondta, hogy mind a ketten Világbajnokok vagyunk. Sandrine és én megöleltük egymást és sírtunk a boldogságtól. - IGEN!!!!! nagyon jó volt Sandrine-val a dobogó tetején állni és 2 himnuszt hallgatni.

Torinoban egészen fantasztikus olimpiád volt: a három ezüstérem mindegyike rendkívül szépen csillog, különösen az üldözőé a 17. helyről. Maradt-e hiányérzet Benned? Elcserélnéd-e ezt a három ezüstöt egy olimpiai aranyra?

Nem!Igaz, Németországban CSAK az arany számít, más nem, én nagyon boldog vagyok a 4 olimpiai érmemmel, és ezeket soha nem cserélném el. Miután Olga Pileva doppingtesztje pozitív lett, vissza kellett adnom a bronzérmemet és kaptam helyette egy ezüstöt. Èn inkább megtartottam volna a bronzot.

Andrea Henkel végigcsinált még egy olimpiai ciklust, ráadásul remek eredményekkel továbbra is a közvetlen élmezőnyben van. Nem fordult meg a fejedben, hogy belefért volna még négy év a pályafutásodba?

Nem. 2006-ba megfogadtam- még négy év és utána 30 évesen visszavonulok és valami mást csinálok. Ès ez így is lett. 2010-ben visszavonultam, 2011-ben és 2012-ben pedig megszülettek a kislányaim és ez így van jól.

Az elmúlt évtizedben a biatlon Németországban rendkívüli népszerűségre tett szert az Uschitól Lenáig terjedő sikerszériának köszönhetően. Mit gondolsz, a győzelmektől elkényeztetett szurkolók mikor élhetnek át egy hasonló német dominanciát újra? Elképzelhető-e Szocsi német biatlon arany nélkül?

Teljesen biztos vagyok benne, hogy Németországban nem lesz még egy Lena- a szurkolóknak azóta elég extrém elvárásaik és igényeik vannak ami a német csapat teljesítményét illeti. Lehet, hogy Szocsiban nem szerzünk érmet, végül is ebbe a szerencse is beletartozik. Nove Mestoban a VB sem sikerült jól- illetve az elvárások nem lettek teljesítve. Èn azért remélem, hogy jó lesz a termés.

Mivel foglalkozol most? Mennyire vagy még közel a biatlonos élethez?

Télen különböző szponzoroknak dolgoztam a VilágKupákon, mint például a Viessmann és a DKB. Néhány biatlonossal még szorosan tartom a kapcsolatot és még mindig nagyon érdekel a biatlon..

A biatlon világszerte folytatódó népszerűségének egyik jele az, hogy immár az IBU által hivatalosan elismert magyar szurkolói csoport is létezik. Van-e valami speciális üzeneted egy ilyen kis biatlonnemzet szurkolói számára?

Szerintem teljesen mindegy, hogy kis vagy nagy biatlonnemzetről van szó abban az esetben, ha az emberek együtt tudnak valamiért rajongani. Csak így tovább!

Üdvözlettel! Martina



2013-07-01

Martina Beck interview (Deutsch)

The former biathlon superstar answers exclusively to our questions!!!

Thanks for Ivett again and again for the contact and also for the German-Hungarian translation!!!


Liebe Martina, vielen Dank, dass Du uns Zeit nimmst! Vor allem, sag uns bitte einige Worte von eurer Freundschaft mit Ivett Szöllősi: seit wann seid ihr befreundet?

Ich weiß gar nicht wie lange schon....ewig Ich habe sie damals über Uschi kennen gelernt und sie war ja sogar bei einem Lehrgang von uns am Dachstein Gletscher mit dabei und hat mit uns trainiert. Als ich jetzt im Januar 3 Tage zum LL in der Ramsau war, habe ich sie besucht-denn wir haben beide innerhalb von 2 Wochen unser 2.. Kind bekommen und es war total schön und lustig mit den Kindern und natürlich sich untereinander auszutauschen.

Du hast eine fantastische Karriere: 11 Saison im WC-Zirkus , unzählige große Wettkämpfe und Podestplätze und alles hast als Mitglied des mächtigsten deutsche Team im Biathlon- Geschichte erreicht. Was für ein Gefühl war es, genau vor 10 Jahre als erste Deutsche von der starken deutschen Mannschaft den Gesamtweltcupsieg zu gewinnen?

Ja die Saison 2002/2003 war genial. Ich war damals nach den Olympischen Spielen 2002 so enttäuscht, dass ich nur einen Einsatz im Einzel bekommen hatte, bei dem ich 7. wurde. Den Sommer über habe ich richtig gut trainiert -fast schon zu verbissen und es hat sich gelohnt. Dass ich damals die erste Deutsche war, die den Gesamtweltcup gewonnen hat-war mir ehrlich gesagt egal.

In dieser Saison hast du auch dein erste WM Gold gewonnen. Das war ein unvergessliches Verfolgungsrennen, als du mit Sandrine Bailly zusammen den Ziellinie überquert hast. Wie hast du dieser Sieg erlebt, die Momente nach dem Wettkampf? Was für ein Gefühl war es zu zweit ganz oben auf dem Podium zu stehen dürfen?

Naja, das war damals alles ziemlich chaotisch......wir sind beide gemeinsam über die Ziellinie und auf der Ergebnistafel war nach 5 min immer noch nicht klar, wer von uns gewonnen hat, da die Zeit identisch war, doch bei den Platzierungen waren sie sich nicht sicher. Einmal war ich auf Platz 1 und dann wieder wir beide und so ging das immer hin und her.....schließlich war ich Weltmeisterin und Sandrine-trotz der selben Zeit 2. Ich war sogar bei der Siegerpräsentation alleinige Weltmeisterin! Ich habe mich bei Sandrine immer wieder entschuldigt, da ich das überhaupt nicht fair fand und das habe ich auch bei der Pressekonferenz gesagt. Währenddessen kam ein Anruf rein und Janiz hat gesagt, dass wir beide nun Weltmeisterinnen sind Sandrine und ich haben uns umarmt und beide vor Freude geweint- JAAA es war toll mit Sandrine gemeinsam dort oben zu stehen und 2 Hymnen zu hören. 


In Torino war deine erfolgreichste Olympiade: 3 mal Silber und die glänzen alle wunderschön, aber von den Verfolgungsrennen wo du von dem 17. Platz auf 2. gelaufen bist, glänzt nach meiner Meinung nach am schönsten. Hast du trotzdem Mangelgefühl? Würdest du den 3 Silbermedalien für einen Gold umtauschen?

Nein! In Deutschland zählt zwar NUR Gold und sonst nichts, doch ich bin so glücklich mit meinen insg. 4 Olympiamedaillen, die würde ich nie umtauschen wollen. Nachdem Olga Pylewa positiv getestet worden war musste ich meine Bronzemedaille hergeben und habe eine Silberne bekommen-ich hätte viiiel lieber meine Bronzemedaille behalten.

Andrea Henkel hat noch eine olympische Zyklus gemacht, und sie ist weiterhin ganz gut, hat super Ergebnisse und ist weiterhin vorne. Hast nie drauf gedacht, dass es bei dir auch ausgegangen wäre..... noch 4 Jahren?

Nein. 2006 in Turin habe ich mir gesagt-4 Jahre mache ich noch und mit 30 ist Schluß, dann möchte ich aufhören und was anderes machen. So habe ich es durchgezogen. 2010 aufgehört 2011 und 2012 meine beiden Töchter bekommen und das ist gut so.

In der letzten Jahrzehnt ist Biathlon in Deutschland sehr populär geworden, dank den Erfolgsserie von Uschi bis Lena.. Was glaubst, wann können die Fans, die natürlich sehr verwöhnt waren, noch mal so eine deutsche Dominanz erleben? Ist es erdenklich, dass deutsche Biathleten in Sochi leer ausgeht?

Ich bin mir sicher, dass es aus Deutschland keine 2. Lena geben wird-die Fans haben durch sie natürlich extrem hohe Erwartungen und Ansprüche an die Leistungen des dt. Teams.
Kann schon sein, dass wir in Sotchi leer ausgehen, schließlich spielt ein bisschen Glück auch noch mit. In Nove Mesto bei der WM hat es ja leider auch nicht gerade gut ausgesehen-zumindest wurden die Erwartungen bei weitem nicht erfüllt. ich hoffe jedoch dass die Ausbeute gut sein wird.


Was machst du heutzutage Beruflich? Wie nahe bist noch zu dem Biathlonleben?

Ich war im Winter für verschiedene Sponsoren Viessmann und DKB bei den Weltcups dabei. Mit manchen Athleten stehe ich noch in Kontakt und ich bin noch sehr daran interessiert.

Das Biathlon immer berühmter wird, zeigt auch, dass Biathlon Fan Club schon in Ungarn auch gibt, und ist von der IBU erkannt. Hast vielleicht eine spezielle Botschaft für den Fans so einem kleinen Biathlonnation?

Ich finde es toll egal wie groß oder klein eine Biathlonnation ist, wenn die Menschen sich gemeinsam für etwas begeistern können. Macht weiter so!


Liebe Grüße, Martina