At the European Championships, the quartet of Laura Lindemann, Nina Eim, Valentin Wernz and Simon Henseleit delivered. The team won the silver medal in the triathlon mixed relay. Nervousness was already there in advance, said Simon Henseleit in the interview - after all, it was his first European Championship race among the elite. In the interview, the 22-year-old reviewed the entire race - and also looked to the future.
Simon, how did you perceive the finish of your last woman Laura Lindemann when it was clear that you would win silver?
Simon Henseleit: "This atmosphere was quite unique, I have not experienced that before. Also many athletes who have been at the Olympics before, as well as the coaches and support staff, all said that it was something very special. And that's actually how I perceived it. There was an incredible amount going on and it was mega loud. The moment Laura ran towards us, I was full of joy and had pure goose bumps. So just mega good."
How do you determine the order for a race? What components play a role here and how long in advance does that happen?
Simon Henseleit: "First of all, there is the innovation for the next Olympic cycle that the women start in position two and four. That was the other way around before. That's actually a very cool thing, there is simply a change and that is valid for the next three years. Since the men's individual race was less than 24 hours before the relay race and that was a pretty intense race, the federation determined that they would like to have two fresh athletes for the relay race. So that was Valentin Wernz and me. In the women's race, Nina Eim and Laura Lindemann are actually the strongest two women in the German team and also very good at this short distance. That's why it was clear in advance that these two girls would be allowed to start. Since the two took second and fourth place in the individual, there was no discussion with the other girls. Then we thought about who had preferences for which position in advance."
How do the four positions differ in themselves?
Simon Henseleit: "The requirement profile for the first position is a fast swim so that you are at the front in the mass start. The cycling is actually not yet so decisive, which was different this time, but normally you still ride in a larger group at the beginning. Most of the time it is a very fast run out the back. In the meantime, position two is actually similar to position one. So it's good if the athlete can swim fast again to close a possible gap right in the water if the first man in the run is missing a few seconds to the top. Something that distinguishes position four from two, however, is the final sprint - if medals or places are at stake in the sprint. Since Nina and Laura are very evenly matched in that, it was more about who felt more comfortable in which position. That's why we decided that Laura would start in position four, because she's done that before. With us guys, it was actually relatively clear because I have a bike strength that you can play off better at position three. Also, I'm an athlete who doesn't need others to push me to my upper limit. That's why we chose the lineup that way."
I can imagine that the tension before such a competition is very high. How was the mood in the team before the race? Were you guys nervous?
Simon Henseleit: "Well, nervousness was already there a bit. On the day of the race we had a team meeting with all the athletes, supervisors and coaches, where we discussed the line-up. There we got an assessment from our scientific team, with facts and figures about the other teams. We also discussed what to look out for, what would be roughly possible, which athletes to watch out for in which situation and what their strengths are. We went out of the meeting with hopes of a medal. So we were all already tense and of course wanted to perform for the team. For me personally, it was the first relay event with the elite, so I was even more nervous. But my teammates gave me a good feeling. So it was really a good atmosphere before."
What was the atmosphere like during the race? Did you notice anything?
Simon Henseleit: "Briefly, we then became a bit nervous when our first man was distanced during the bike ride and then handed over after all with a slightly larger gap than we expected. But then our first woman caught up well. I knew that I would not start the race at the front, but that I would be within striking distance. Everything was still possible up to second place. The spectators were really loud, it was really loud. I've never been to a race where there were so many spectators who made such a good atmosphere. Especially when we entered the stadium as the German team. During the race, I sometimes don't hear so much from the outside, but this time it was just a constant sound. At times it was almost so loud that you couldn't even gauge where your competitor was behind you."
You were accompanied on your way to the multisport event for two years in the run-up to the European Championships and were part of the "Class of 22". What was that like for you?
Simon Henseleit: "It was mega interesting. The people were all super nice and there was always good communication. Especially as a triathlete, it is difficult to combine media appointments with training, because we train a lot. But we as athletes and our training were always in the foreground. Even though units were accompanied by media, my training was not limited. It was a cool opportunity to present myself and through the interviews I learned a lot in terms of media."
You just mentioned that you train a lot as a triathlete. How can one imagine a training day from you?
Simon Henseleit: "Because we do three different sports, we are always very busy. We train two or three times a day. Sometimes we add athletics or strength training. A typical training day, like today for example, looks like this: In the morning I met up with a couple of buddies, they went running for an hour while I did stabilization training because I had a break from running today. After that we swam five kilometers with intervals in the outdoor pool. Today was a rather harder swim workout on the schedule. I just had lunch, after which I took a short nap (editor's note). And now it's off to the bike at 3:45 p.m. for two and a half hours with a few longer intervals. But not too high intensity yet, because the competition from the weekend is still present. That is, now first a few longer units with medium intensity, so that you get a foundation again. Tomorrow we will continue in a similar way. 80 percent of the training in the units is actually done very calmly. Because you're at such a high level, you're already going fast, but it's not really that strenuous. My pulse is around 120 beats per minute. Of course, you also have a few fast units during the week, which do hurt. Every now and then you have to push yourself to develop further. Most of the time in training, though, we can all have a good conversation with each other, so it's really fun."
How many miles do you cover in a typical training week?
Simon Henseleit: "In swimming we have about 25 kilometers a week, cycling averages 300 kilometers and running about 60 kilometers. But then I also have phases in which I run 90 kilometers. In competition weeks it's more like 40 kilometers. The number of hours varies quite a bit. In a normal average week 25 hours. In training camps, we get a maximum of 35 hours."
You have just won silver with the team at the European Championships. What are your goals for the future?
Simon Henseleit: "This year went really mega well. From the feeling I had a very good season so far, so I have to see what I do this year. But there are still a few World Cups coming up, which are important for moving up in the world rankings. I'm currently in the top 60, but in order to be able to consistently compete at the highest level in the races, I would have to be in the top five of the Germans. The top five Germans are currently in the top 30 in the world. The level is simply very high among German athletes. The long-term goal is to qualify for the Olympics in the next few years. I would also like to continue competing in championships like the European Championships. Then, of course, you can look at including a middle distance, half an Ironman. I did that once last year, which was actually pretty cool."
How would you rank the European Championships compared to the other competitions in terms of their relevance?
Simon Henseleit: "It was just a European Championship, it has a high value. From a sporting point of view, it is not worth more than a world championship, but especially because it was such a big event, it is an experience that most athletes will remember for a long time. It was just mega fun because you had such a big attention and the many spectators gave you a really good feeling. Even the athletes who didn't do so well said what a great race it was and what a great event it was. So nobody really looks back on it sadly. But in terms of sporting relevance, I would just classify it as a European Championship, and of course that's already a highlight of the year, but in triathlon it's not the only one."
Text/Interview: Lina Lässer & Michelle Brey
Photos: Simon Henseleit