Olympia 2018: Landertinger to bronze:”I’m not 100 percent in shape.”

Asked by the Tyrolean Dominik Landertinger, who ran in Alpensia/Pyeongchang (South Korea) for the Olympic bronze medal in the biathlon (20 km singles) on Thursday:

Question: How did you experience your race today?

Dominik Landertinger:”It was a very good race from me. I didn’t feel like I was walking around 100%. I’m not 100% in shape. But I concentrated all the more on the shooting. I also shot relatively fast. I had a super ski, which was of course very important. Today we had great weather conditions. Pyeongchang showed himself from the most beautiful side.”

Question: Did you think after your intervertebral disc surgery that you could achieve such a success?

Landertinger:”It was a very, very difficult time the last one and a half years. Last September last year I had an operation. I’ve had a lot of training loss. I couldn’t train for two and a half months. That’s why I had such a hard time running at the first World Cups in Oberhof and Ruhpolding. That’s been on my mind so far. But it has now become better and better step by step. I’m overjoyed to be able to make a really good comeback on the podium today.”

Question: Does this medal look like a fairy tale to you?

Landertinger:”Yes, you can almost say that. When I was running-in in the morning today, the whole Pyeongchang has somehow zipped me on, I have to say. It was cold and the wind has gone. And the shape didn’t fit. But that’s the only way it’ll work out today.”

Question: When did the man with the hammer come?

Landertinger:”I went through the first four laps at a good pace. That was a good fit. I made sure I had a nice move and concentrated on the shooting. In the last lap it became really horrible. I knew I’d have to run against the best now. It was clear that I am as much a realist as I am. I knew it was all about the medal. It was a flop.”

Question: Do you have a special love affair with Pyeongchang?

Landertinger:”What loves each other is teasing. Now is the time to say that. That’s what I thought at the 2009 World Cup. There was such a foul weather and the trail was bad. And then I became world champion and won the silver medal with the relay. And this time it was exactly the same. I thought it wasn’t any good here. And then I’ll get the bronze medal. We like each other and we love each other, but we argue a lot.”

Question: What did you think of when it was clear that it would be a medal?

Landertinger:”As it was clear, I was already very emotional. It was a brutal relief to get confirmation that you are there and of course that you are being rewarded for the hard work. It’s just happiness. It’s easy to get watery eyes.”

Question: How do you always manage to achieve top performance at major events?

Landertinger:”I can’t really explain that myself. But I’ll be cool with the shooting. I won’t let myself get upset. I don’t know, I think it’s a little genetically engineered.”

Question: Do you have a special love for the 20km competition?

Landertinger:”Yes, he’s a shooting man, so he’s good for me. Of course, the length also benefits me. I’m good at every contest, but the 20 is one in which good races have often been seen.”

Question: Is there still a celebration today?

Landertinger:”No, I can’t celebrate today because the mass start and the relay are still on the program.”