Interview time with Danny Queck!

Interview time with Danny Queck!

25/01/2013 23:35

I’m proud to introduce to you a young German athlete, who made it out of the COC to remarkable results in the Summer-Grand-Prix to a set place in the German national team- and all this in a short time:

Danny Queck! SkiJumpingItaly: Danny, you’re one of the high-flyers in the German team. In summer you go the world’s attention - for example with the 2.place in qualification in Hinterzarten and the 6. Place in Almaty, as well as in Hinzenbach and since then no one can abdicate your place in the team. Did you expect that you would be able to make it so fast?

Danny Queck: I wouldn’t call myself a high-flyer. I was already working a while on making it into the A-team. I was there for a short time a few times but then the performance wasn’t enough and soon I was back in the COC. I needed a bit of a warm-up to get familiar with the rhythm, the cameras etc. in the World-cup and to concentrate on my performance only. I worked a lot on this and myself to not evaluate my environment so much but to focus on myself and show my best possible jumps. Things are looking up and so I was able to get a 12th place in the overall.

SJI: What did you take out of the Summer-Grand-Prix and into the winter?

DQ: A lot of self-confidence and all the experiences that I gained during the summer, of course. Despite of this things didn’t start that good for me and I needed to fight.

SJI: What does your résumé of the first WC-period look like?

DQ: Mixed. In the beginning I had some problems, which I didn’t get under control so easily. Somewhen it worked and then it didn’t. In Kuusamo I had bad luck with the conditions, otherwise it would have been enough to get my first World-Cup points. But the performance curve went up, I worked a lot and in Sochi it finally happened. Then it didn’t go so easy because I didn’t become friends with the jumping in Engelberg. Right in time for the Tournament it matched and I made 2 good competitions. Though I wasn’t allowed to go to Innsbruck and B’hofen, which I think was a pity.

SJI: At the opening competition you reached a good 19th place. What have your goals for the first Four-Hills-Tournament been that you experienced as part of the A-team?

DQ: I partly reached my goals. I showed 2 good competitions. My performance matched. My second goal was the one I didn’t reach. I wasn’t allowed to go further.

SJI: In the trial round of the opening competition in Oberstdorf you showed that you are quite equal to your opponent, WC-winner Anders Bardal. What do you think about the K.O.-mode and how is it for you, to compete in a direct duel with another jumper?

DQ: Nowadays everything’s possible in ski-jumping. Everything’s close and a small mistake is punished immediately. So it can happen fast that a good performance brings you to the top but with a small mistake or bad conditions you’re not even in the second round. I think it’s a tensing situation, yet it’s rather harder to come into the final round. The Tournament is something special and the k.o.-mode underlines this. Despite everything stays the same. You have to take care to show your best performance, in the qualification (a good place means a weaker rival) as well as in the competition. If you ask me, the good placement in the qualification is the special thing compared to other competitions because with this you can already get a good position for moving into the final round. It’s safer to win the direct duel but there are 5 lucky losers as well.

SJI: While researching info for the Four-Hills-Tournament I found out that Horst Queck won the Tournament in 1969/70. Are you related?

DQ: A lot of people ask me this. But I’m not related to him, not even a bit. :)

SJI: What can you say about the performance of your teammates- especially after the Four-Hills-Tournament?

DQ: Right now we have a very strong team. The third place of Sevi was sensational. But also the team itself was on a good way. The pressure from outside and the own anticipation were really high after the competitions before but in Oberstdorf we were bearing up against this.

SJI: How did you come to ski-jumping? Who’s your idol?

DQ: I played soccer first (when I was 4-6years old). Then I tried ski-jumping with a friend and liked it. After 3 days I was allowed to take part in my first competition. It was followed by a year of soccer and ski-jumping. But the training times overlapped and my parents and coaches said, if I want to become professional, I have to choose. And because everything I reach in ski-jumping is only my credit (because it’s no team sport) I chose ski-jumping. My idols are Janne Ahonen and Valentino Rossi.

SJI: What are your goals for this season and your ski-jumping future in general? Did you think of the World-Championships in Val di Fiemme that is already starting in February?

DQ: My goals are to become a set part of the A-team and to stick there like glue. I can reach this with good performances so I would describe my goal for this season with good jumps. I thought about it but for this the performance needs to match. Because of this I’ll do the first thing first and the rest comes then. :)

SJI: Do you want to tell your growing fan crowd something personally?

DQ: I think private stuff should stay private. ;) But I want to tell EVERYONE that I’m totally happy about my fans, they give me strength and are a huge motivation. A big thank you to everyone!

Thanks for the interview, Danny and good luck for your career!

• Interview: Peggy Kierstan (@pikayartist)