At 40, the former walker was followed by the former cyclist Pozzovivo and on 10 km he did the 4th Italian time: “Every now and then I like to compete, it gives a sense to training. Meanwhile, I work as an athletic trainer”
The next day it is even more beautiful. After marching at almost 41 years on the Bolzano track a 10 kilometers in 38’24 “07 – Quarto always in Italy, behind Massimo Stano, Francesco Fortunato and Ivano Brugnetti – Alex Schwazer gave himself a Sunday in the family, and with the family of the former cyclist Domenico Pozzovivo,” The main architect of this result “immediately clarifies the Olympian. Olympic laurels on the Calvary of the exorbitant disqualification for doping eight years long, and a former runner capable of putting together 18 laps of Italy concluded, a degree in business economics and one in motor sciences.
On July 19 of a year ago, in Arco di Trento, he showed up at the farewell passage announcing that he would no longer compete. Instead this year he has already made three outings. Nostalgia?
“But no, I like to compete every now and then because it gives a sense to training. In Arco it was the last race under the guidance of Sandro Donati with a complete preparation in the legs, as when I was a professional. But I had the sciatica and a 20 km I can’t do it anymore, my body does not allow me. Now with Domenico I do a third, not to say half of the work I did then. In fact I didn’t think I was staying at this level, Short, at most 10 km, I will continue to do it “.
Will it not be thinking of the next Italian championships? At the last of August he would not have disfigured …
“It’s true, but I don’t know if I would have had the minimum to participate. And then go to Caorle it was not very comfortable, many times on weekends I have commitments and on Sunday I would like to be in the family. But I do not exclude that it can happen next year, I don’t want to put limits, let’s see if I have the time to prepare myself. Or if I will rather decide not to make any race”.
What does it mean at 40 to achieve a time that in the season it is even worth the world top 10?
“Honestly I don’t look at us, I am happy to have improved the staff who dated 2011, just before the Daegu World Championships. The satisfaction is great considering that fourteen years have passed, but I prefer not to be framed in the usual categories, the world now needs to say ‘you are young, you are old …’ The goal is only to do my best”.
And the work? As an athletic trainer at the Palace Merano how to find time to train?
“The first password is flexibility, the second is treadmill. I can’t afford to be regular, many times I train on a lunch break, others exploit the slightly more quiet days to make more important sessions, which in the end are the ones that make the difference. In any case, I do not move away from the treadmill of the hotel, which allows me to make biomechanical evaluations, so I can take advantage of every time of the time and thirty stones I have to do everything, even eat. “
Then there is the collaboration with Südtirol in Serie B.
“They started well, even if the next with Palermo will be very difficult. My role is to have a continuous dialogue with the nails and pescosolid preparers, there are many things we do and that we would like to do, but it is right not to change the routine too much”.
At 38, Djokovic was a semi -finalist US Open, while Monica De Gennaro won world gold with Italvolley. Is age just a number?
“It depends, apart from talent and genetics it takes a great ability to adapt to new methodologies, while many athletes who have won prefer not to change anything. If now I trained me as sixteen years ago when I conquered the Olympic gold I would do 41 ‘and not 38’ on 10 km. What does not change is the desire to work hard, at 40 the key is still wanting to measure itself and to improve, also because I have to improve. Lost nothing, zero “.
Pozzovivo told him?
“I thank Laura Martinelli, Dietitian from Team Jayco-Alula, who put us in touch. Domenico told me immediately yes, without so many stories we started working, even if at a distance”.
Has any of the federation congratulated?
“No no, better this way, I would be a bitterness in my mouth. And then if they call me I think they want something from me.”
Will the Tokyo World Championships look?
“Of course, when the times allow it. This Italy is very strong, but the competition compared to a few years ago is different, there are no Russians and European opponents are more scarce”.
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