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«The greatest achievement of our team was that they stood up and competed,“
said an obviously still deeply depressed national coach Andreas Hirsch. «Because
of these problems every gymnast today left out individual elements, or competed
only a part of a routine. And these problems are not overcome. I can definitely
say this.»
Thomas Andergassen from Stuttgart, who usually performs the same vault as the
unlucky Ziesmer (a double-twisting Tsukahara) received a high score on pommel
horse. But he didn’t perform the vault. «I simply couldn’t
do it, » said the 24-year-old, who now gets enforced professional psychological
support along with his team mates. Upon being asked if Andergassen would ever
perform this vault again, head coach Hirsch couldn’t give an answer: «It’s
safe to say that we will neither motivate him nor try to convince him to do
the vault. When or if he feels ready to do it again, he’ll come and tell
us»
 The entire German team is still deeply shocked. And they deal with it in different
ways. While a national coach from Stuttgart almost aggressively points out that
in other sports people die, it is nothing more than a desperate attempt try
to create an emotional distance. Others, like Sven Kwiatkowski from Chemnitz,
only speak with a low voice. «We all moved together even closer than we
were before, simply to be able to work through this psychologically,»
he says, envying the 16-year old youngster Fabian Hambüchen, who competed
apparently unperturbed on Saturday. «He is still young and impetuous.
You don’t think much about it when you are that age.»
The team also received support from the many-time German champion Birgit Schweigert.
The 22-year old gymnast, who had herself to bear misery when missing her last
chance to qualify to the Olympics with a single blackout, came from Bergisch-Gladbach
to the Suabian province to provide moral support.
National coach Andreas Hirsch was especially moved by the accident. The eyes
of the 46-year old are still close to tears whenever the Ziesmer theme is brought
up. Remembering his immediate reaction to the accident: «I bared my soul
before the team and told them I couldn’t do it any longer. I could no
longer be a coach. But the gymnasts stood up and started training without me.
I was so impressed by what they showed me, and that finally inspired me to go
on. They’ve given me back a piece of my motivation. When young men bring
achievement and seek to pursue a goal, I’d like to be there.»
Hirsch isn’t sure how tactics for Athens will have to change because
of the loss of Ziesmer. «That was completely unimportant to me this week.»
But he still knows that the coveted eighth place is still possible. «219
points barely got us into 12th place at the World Championships in Anaheim.
Today we got 223,» he said. And the reason why the team finally chose to compete in Schwäbisch-Gmünd?
Kwiatkowski explained: «We decided to come here and compete today, because
we believe that Ronny would have wanted it»
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nbb /AJ |
