Former European Champions: Sabrina and Lupo
Some thoughts of an “old lady” about the upcoming EC
How different it is from all the years before! I am not hungry, don’t feel any pains or bad about not training on this wonderful sunny Sunday. Is it a feeling similar to that of retired people? No!
It’s just the feeling of someone who is no longer an active participant – after five EC medals – I’m simply looking forward to WATCHING the performances.
Well, I do know the emotions coming up when the big event approaches. Am I in the right shape for my fights, will I be strong enough to live up to my expectations and will I be able to perform the way I CAN DO IT? These are the questions every athlete ask themselves, particularly when they are exhausted from their training.
Once you have realised that winning and losing are just two sides of one medal, that both a good deal of egoism and a whiff of diplomacy are necessary, then you’ll be able to win.
Thus, the EC will prove who has managed to succeed in this respect: a medal or even a title is just the result of constant and hard training, part of the process or the way to yourself…
Yours
Claudia
Hello Judo fans,
Today i´m going to introduce to you Austria´s team member and superlight weight Valentina Schauer from Colop Samurai Vienna, who will compete in her first EC!
Valentina Schauer -48kg, Colop Samurai
1.) Are you proud of the fact that the Austrian Judo Federation will host the European Championships?
Yes, of course! It’s a good chance to make Judo more popular in Austria. Judo in Austria is unfortunately still a minority sport and this European Championship may offer the possibility to bring Judo closer to a wider audience.
2.) Do you attach the home European Championships a higher priority than a „usual“ event; if yes, why
For me, this European Championship has a very high priority. I fought already 2005 at the home-u17-European-Championships in Salzburg, which was already very special for me, but a European Championship in my hometown Vienna is something unique!
3.) How important is the support of the home crowd to be successful at the European Championships?
The support of the audience is always very important! You should always bring peak performances, but with the help of the own audience it’s possible to achieve more.
4.) If you could wish for one thing concerning your appearance at the European Championships, what would that be?
I hope that everyone who is interested in Judo will come and cheer for our team. I also hope that our team gets one or two medals because I think only by success we can achieve that more attention is paid to Judo.
Today we are going to talk to Albert Fercher , who will compete on the second day of the EC in the weight category under 81kg. Enjoy!
Albert Fercher -81kg, UJZ Mühlviertel
1.) Are you proud of the fact that the Austrian Judo Federation will host the European Championships?
Definetly! I would like the Austrian people to be as enthusiastic about judo as for other sports and hope they will rush to the Ferry Dusika stadium.
2.) Do you attach the home European Championships a higher priority than a „usual“ event; if yes, why?
Well, it will be my second EC, so I didn’t have a lot of opportunities to compare it with others, but it’s of course something unique to fight in Austria. To my mind every EC has its own special charm and I’m looking forward to seeing what will be going on in Vienna. Further, I’m especially proud of representing Austria in my weight category.
3.) How important is the support of the home crowd to be successful at the European Championships?
Primarily, each sportsman has to perform on his own, but if there are tough situations arising during a fight, I’m glad about every single fan, who pushes me to my limit.
4.) If you could wish for one thing concerning your appearance at the European Championships, what would that be?
My greatest wish would be to win a medal, because that is what I’m dreaming of.
Here we go!
Our first interview with Sabrina Filzmoser , European Champion in 2008.
Sabrina Filzmoser, Multikraft Wels
1.) Are you proud of the fact that the Austrian Judo Federation will host the European Campionships?
I see it as a unique chance to draw the attention to the Judo sport in Austria.
With the Handball EC this year in our home country we were allowed to experience really enthusiastic Austrian sports fans.
If enthusiasm and optimism is sprayed out, the “spark” leaps over, people suddenly identify with the sport no matter whether they exercise Judo or know the competing sportsmen only from the media.
2.) Do you attach the home European Championships a higher priority than a „usual“ event; if yes, why?
I`ve already been allowed to fight some ECs, but each of them had a special value. The European Championship show every year a big challenge for me, but at home in front of the “home audience” it will be definitively something unique. The whole thing will have its own character because everybody who is involved into Judo in Austria will be present, will co-operate or will have portion in any form.
3.) How important is the support of the home crowd to be successful at the European Championships?
I hope in all federal states of Austria, in all associations and clubs the people will realize that this is one great possibility to see the fights of the Austrian top men and women against the European top people.
If the enthusiasm of the young fans leaps over on to everybody and put them all together to come into the Ferry Dusika Stadium, then I think we will have a really strong patriotic audience.
To be able to get out the last of ourselfs there is for every top judoka nothing nicer than to know, behind ourself there is the whole stadium.
This goes through “skin and bone” and gives us hopefully a “little quantity” more of energy to push our
self into the limitless!
4.) If you could wish for one thing concerning your appearance at the European Championships, what would that be?
Curious, enthusiastic fans and above all, a fair audience. Everybody should flow into the Judo EC-hall and should experience an emotion-loaded competition, rich and filled with action.
14.3.2010
Hello,
The Austrian Championships have passed and therefore the last chance for all the athletes to qualify for the Europeans.
You can find all the qualifiers, who will compete for Austria on our website. Nevertheless over the following weeks I would like to present you our “musketeers”, give you a little closer look on their thoughts and talk to them about the upcoming event.
Hope you join me soon again,
Claudia
Hello Judo-Fans!
Let´s get ready for the European Championships! For the next couple of weeks I´ll give you all the inside on the preparation and provide you with interesting interviews of all the Austrian stars.
Hope you´ll check it out!
yours,
Claudia
