In order to perform at their best, professional athletes not only have to train hard, they also have to eat right. Heiko Götz, among others, has been responsible for this at the German Ski Association (DSV) for almost three decades. At the Nordic World Ski Championships in Planica he will be there again and will take care of the physical well-being of the athletes and supervisors.
It’s just after nine-thirty at the German team’s hotel in Tarvisio. Heiko Götz has been standing in the large kitchen in the basement for a good three and a half hours, working. The 53-year-old has already processed almost 80 eggs and baked twelve kilos of bread to feed the 64-strong DSV delegation from the ski jumping and cross-country skiing areas as well as the hotel employees.
A 30-liter pot of beef broth has been simmering on the stove since the early hours of the morning – all natural and without any chemical mace, of course. Behind it are pancakes prepared for the afternoon – almost 50 pieces. So that everything is fresh and he does not have to use finished products, he stands “better get up an hour earlier“, as Götz explains. His working day usually lasts from 6 a.m. in the morning until the evening hours.
Exact tuning for each athlete
When creating the menu, Götz naturally has to address the different demands of the sports. Essential vegetable proteins are the basis for all athletes, then the right menu is put together with the appropriate amount of carbohydrates or meat in the modular system. This is all done in close consultation with the nutritionists of the German Ski Association (DSV). “We create the components and the nutritionist calculates the individual elements“, says Götz, who studied ecotrophology – a combination of nutritional science and household science – in the mid-1990s and now incorporates this knowledge into his work.
Before the competition, the athletes have their own rituals, three hours before the competition they eat according to their personal specifications. Then the calculated components are on the plan. After the competitions there are sometimes things “that make you happy“.
Technicians like it a little heartier
But not only the athletes want to be taken care of, the technicians are also hungry. It can then be a little heartier, explains Götz. “A good Thuringian bratwurst, a nice meat loaf roll or even a chili con carne – they no longer have to compete for medals. They have to make the skis fast and you have to be happy about that“, he says and hands over a cool box with the current ration to a DSV employee, who sets off with it to Planica, 16 kilometers away.
It can also be more expensive for a medal
In order to be able to process the large quantities of food, it was of course necessary to plan well in advance, after all, logistics is an issue in itself. “We have an organic farmer on site that we buy our fresh vegetables from“, says Götz. Already in October he tested the quality of the meat and looked at possible suppliers, the selected one is now only three kilometers away from the team hotel: “It might end up costing a bit more than buying it in a supermarket, but the quality is better. But when you see how many medals there were in the first week, the 30 to 40 euros more per person are not noticeable.“Some products, such as the Thuringian sausages, are brought from home.
With the DSV for almost three decades
Götz has worked for the DSV since 1994. It all started with the biathletes, and he still has friendly contact with the then top stars Sven Fischer, Ricco Groß and Uschi Disl. From time to time he still plays golf with former coaches Gerald Hönig or Uwe Müssiggang. He has known Andreas Wellinger from the current players since childhood. In the meantime he has taken part in six Olympic Games and was present at almost every World Cup, explains Götz.
In 2016, Götz switched to the Nordic area within the DSV and has been responsible for the cross-country skiers ever since, so he already knows the corresponding wishes very well. Whether homemade gnocchi, pasta, various anti-pasti variations or baked aubergine with blue cheese – the list is long and diverse. Götz and his assistant cooks make it fresh every day. Also high up are steaks, which are by no means a problem in the diet of a top athlete.
It depends on the type of meat and the amount, but the athletes know exactly what is tolerated, explains Götz. But there are also exceptions: “On the rest day, you can also sin a bit. Then we also make hamburgers or Kaiserschmarn, so that the athletes regain their strength.“And sometimes there are other special requests. After a long, exhausting race, a pizza is sometimes requested, and Götz naturally complies with the request. After the mixed team gold, Schnitzel was on the menu: “I almost have it inhaled,” explains Karl Geiger the next morning.
If there are medals, a beer is sometimes requested
While Götz is at work in his kingdom, what the people he cooks for on the ski jumps and on the cross-country ski runs doesn’t pass him by. There is no TV in the kitchen and he wouldn’t have the time for it. “Only when they march in in the evening and everyone is cheering do I get it. Or if maybe one or the other beer is ordered“, he says with a laugh. Götz doesn’t want a special reward if it works out with a medal: “The friendliness and family cohesion make me happy. I don’t need any presents“, Götz is satisfied while he prepares a scrambled egg.
And what about his own diet? “Everything has to be tried because the quality has to be right. You’re not really that hungry in the evening.“Nevertheless, we eat together as a team: “I don’t have to starve.“Then in the evening we would have a beer or a red wine together with the athletes.”That doesn’t harm anyone“, laughs Götz. Then he has to go, quickly up the stairs to the team’s breakfast room. One of the athletes is already waiting there for his breakfast egg.