Interview with-Sven Hannawald

Interview with-Sven Hannawald

Sven Hannawald might be the most impressive ski-jumper in the 2000s. He was the first and only one to ever win all four competitions of one Four-Hills-Tournament. He also earned Olympic gold with the team and silver in the individual competition, he was ski-flying World-champion twice, won gold in two World-Championships and was the winner of three German nationals. Besides, he has 18 World-Cup victories on his account. SkiJumpingItaly talked to Sven Hannawald, who was in Klingenthal for the season opening to introduce his biography "Mein Höhenflug, mein Absturz, meine Landung im Leben".

SkiJumpingItaly: Sven, today the wind is so strong in Klingenthal that the competition is postponed again and again. How was that for you, the time of waiting, when the competition was delayed because of strong wind?

Sven Hannawald: It is hard. The biggest problem is the concentration, because you get up in the morning and already build up tension before the competition. And when it is delayed, than this process gets stuck. You learn to cope with that with time. In die end one hopes that this jumping will take place because everyone wants to show the spectators, who came, something. But when the competition is just pushed through, it doesn’t make sense either. Today we have the hope that it still can happen but we have to wait.

SJI: Your time in Klingenthal as student of the Kinder- und Jugend-Sportschule (sport school) was affected by homesickness and the focus on sport. Which feelings do you have, when you walk through Klingenthal nowadays?

SH: It’s a totally different time. Now I can enjoy it. Of course I compare it also with these past times but I was way younger back then. I realized that during my time in the Schwarzwald some people sad that I forgot them. But I knew what I needed to do back then and it wouldn’t have brought me anything in my sports to stay here. Now I have the time to give everything back and this is fun. I feel good here. And yes, it’s bothering me to remember again. But these four days here have been great. I also look forward to the days, when there will be competitions here again and I will have more time to enjoy those as well.

SJI: Is racing, your new dedication as demanding as ski-jumping or can’t this be compared?

SH: I think if I would have started this from the beginning, it would have been as demanding. But regarding the fact that I just started at the age of 35 it’s like a hobby for me and simply easy. It is – like any hobby sport – just lax. Sure, I still have that ambition and sometimes I have to take myself back a bit. But in general I’m doing something that I always wanted to do and this is what I live right now.

SJI: Nowadays psychological support has a high value in ski-jumping. Has this been different back then?

SH: There was nothing like this back then. As you can read in my book, I looked for a psychologist myself, means I got the hint to try it with one and I had great success with this. Meanwhile there are different approaches with music therapy and others to give the body certain impulses and to calm down. That’s a very important constant [in ski-jumping] and I believe it’s the one with the best potential.

SJI: Can you imagine to get a ski-jumping related job in the near future, maybe as expert or coach?

SH: I’m currently working as an expert for SKY and I’m happy about this. Unfortunately they don’t have live broadcasting rights. That’s why I’m happy to be here for four days this weekend and to have time for others. If I would be bound to the TV, I would be here for the first time after many years and would need to stand in front of the camera the whole time and would not have any time for someone. After this there would be meetings with the TV-team… –and now it’s good the way it is. Besides I’m blogging as an expert for Yahoo Eurosport.

SJI: A lot of people say, you should stop at the summit of your career. Martin Schmitt on the other hand says to himself that it is still fun for him although he’s not as good as he was in former times. What do you think about his attitude?

SH: I have a huge respect for this. It’s still that he simply wants to jump. He has his weak points, which he can still improve and this drives him. In his stead I most-likely would have thrown the skies into the corner already. I hope it goes a great leap forward for him, regarding the [Four-Hills-] Tournament. He’s the only one to know, when he will stop.

SJI: Last question, Sven. The German team, who surprises you most, whose development is the most impressive one?

SH: I really can’t pick one of them. I’m simply happy about how the team grows. Two promising athletes come up with Karl Geiger and Marinus Kraus. There you can see: It’s absolutely sensational; the work of Werner Schuster pays off. If someone fails, the next one is already there. It’s simply dreamlike, also for me, to see it and to know, that the German team is competitive.

Thank you very much for this interview, Sven! We wish you a lot of success and all the best for your racing and the future!

• Peggy Kierstan