The Red Bulletin June 2020 (US)

74
Canoeist, 25, AUT.
While her Olympic debut is on hold, the 2018
European slalom-canoeing champion has
been taking some tips from her brother.
75
Épée fencer, 32, SUI.
Heinzer has been in the top 10 of his sport
since 2009. His Swiss team won gold at
the World Fencing Championships in 2018.
Viktoria
Wolffhardt
Max
Heinzer
Sporting siblings: Viktoria
and Maxi Wolffhardt do the
Koala Challenge, a climbing
and strength exercise.
All in the Family
“Making my Olympic dream come
true will have to wait. Right now
I’m working out at home instead
of doing my usual training. But it
gives me time to prepare and try
out new things, like training with
my brother. Maxi is a handball
player, so he trains differently: He
does coordination exercises with
a ball, stabilizes his neck, works
on strengthening his legs and
does long stretches. How is that
beneficial to me? No idea! Only
Tokyo will tell. But there’s no
harm in trying something new.”
“My silent partner
improves my game”
Whenever Max Heinzer grabs his
épée at his home in the Swiss village
of Küssnacht, near Lucerne, his
sparring partner is always en garde.
That’s because his opponent is an
artificial arm attached to a wall and
holding a fencing sword of its own.
This one-limbed adversary has
been doing Heinzer an invaluable
service since 2011. “I knocked it
together after I got injured, so that
I could train at home, too,” he says.
“It’s a chromium steel skeleton
covered in insulation material,
foam and plastic wrap, hanging from
a height-adjustable shower rod.”
Given the current situation, Heinzer
is especially indebted to his patient
training partner. “He’s my toughest
opponent,” says the champion fencer.
Fine swordsmen: Heinzer training at home.
RDB/BLICKSPORT/BENJAMIN SOLAND, VALERIANO DI DOMENICO/RED BULL CONTENT POOL WOLFGANG WIESER
80 THE RED BULLETIN