Roman Sebrle (© IAAF)
Hi there,
I am really happy to be able to share with the athletics community my feelings and current situation.
I opened my summer season in Gotzis about a month ago and I’m feeling very well now. I know that after all the hard work I’ve done in training; it’s now time for me to concentrate on the competitions. And, as every athlete, I always expect a lot from each of my competition.
In my first decathlon of the year in Gotzis I was not satisfied with the Long Jump and the Hurdles results. But the real disappointment was the Discus Throw.
Two weeks before Gotzis I had been able to throw 6 metres further than what I did in the actual competition. And that is a lot! Also the Pole Vault could have been better.
So I hope I will perform better in my next decathlon in Ratingen this weekend. Unfortunately, Tom Pappas will not be present and I am really looking forward to meeting him in Paris as he is a great competitor.
He had great decathlon at US Championships; mainly his improvement in the Long Jump was excellent. And obviously his great results give me extra motivation to train even harder.
I am very fortunate to have a lot of support from my young son Stephan and my wife Eva who are the ones who always stay close to me but also from my sister and my parents. But my biggest fans remain my wife and my father.
Concerning my personal background I can say that I grew up in the small town of Rychnov nad Kneznou and always loved sport.
When I was 6 years old I started to play soccer and stayed in the sport until I turned 18. Then athletics came in my life. I only started training seriously at age 21.I have been training almost every day since.
I love all other sports, computers, golf and movies.
As you know I changed coaches since autumn 2001. The main focus now in training is on running, mainly sprints. After that we always go for some technical event. It could be a throw or a jump.
I know that the weight-lifting room exercises are very important for me but I must admit I do not like it.
I now need the support of the crowd in Ratingen, which is where I compete next. I had no specific preparation for it; I just tried to maintain my good shape. I’m wondering what I will be capable of this weekend. But the feelings are not bad, so I’m hoping to achieve a better score than in Gotzis.
After Ratingen, I will travel for first time in my life to Font Romeu, France, for my final preparation for the World Championships. I will let you know how it goes!
Roman Sebrle
