Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
tel in the centre of the city.<br />
Once we lived in a hotel<br />
near the airport and that was<br />
not very good. In general,<br />
the surrounding atmosphere<br />
itself makes for a good performance.<br />
For me, where we<br />
are accommodated is very<br />
important. It is great that the<br />
sports manager of this competition,<br />
Laurent Boquillet,<br />
made the effort to accommodate<br />
us in this wonderful<br />
place. While here we have<br />
managed to see some places<br />
of interest and not just the<br />
stadium where we are performing.<br />
Paris is just wonderful<br />
especially with all the<br />
fireworks on their national<br />
holiday. I am amazed how<br />
beautiful this city is and the<br />
way the inhabitants look after<br />
it. This is the sixth time, I<br />
have come to Paris and each<br />
time I discover something<br />
new to marvel at.”<br />
“And how are you planning<br />
to arrange your stay at<br />
the World Championships in<br />
Berlin?”<br />
“In Berlin, I want to stay<br />
with my girlfriends from the<br />
team. We always support each<br />
other before a race. I am glad<br />
that I am only 24 because I<br />
believe I have a big and bright<br />
future ahead of me. I am also<br />
glad that during this season I<br />
have already run under 50 seconds,<br />
many times. I think that<br />
my time to become an Olympic<br />
Champion will come. But,<br />
in the meantime, I have to win<br />
the World Championship and<br />
“Golden League” series. After<br />
the European season is finished<br />
I want to go back home<br />
and have a full medical check<br />
up, to be sure that everything<br />
is alright with my health.<br />
When all my team arrive in<br />
Berlin, it will help me avoid<br />
stress and combat tiredness.<br />
Before the championships, we<br />
might play some games in or-<br />
der to distract our minds from<br />
the competition.”<br />
“You are wearing quite a<br />
strange pendant. Is it a bullet?”<br />
“It was presented to me by<br />
my mother when I was about<br />
ten years old and just starting<br />
out on my running career. She<br />
said that I must run faster than<br />
a bullet. Since then this bullet<br />
has become my lucky charm.<br />
You see that it is pretty worn<br />
but I never take it off. I know<br />
that it brings me luck.”<br />
“What are your other interests<br />
outside of running?”<br />
“I have to admit that I adore<br />
shopping and bowling is another<br />
passion of mine. Be-<br />
style<br />
sides this my fiancé, Aaron<br />
Ross plays for the football<br />
club, the “New York Giants”<br />
and I spend a lot of time at the<br />
stadium supporting him. Now,<br />
I also have the very pleasant<br />
task of planning our wedding<br />
which will happen after the<br />
athletics season has finished.”<br />
Ivan PETROV<br />
www.athletics-magazine.com | 53
Change language