For many years, Andrea Salvisberg stood in the shadow of his brothers Lukas and Florin. However, the 27-year-old has now won the race for the Olympic ticket. The Emmental resident, whose strength lies in swimming, will be travelling to Rio together with Sven Riederer.  

The Olympic Games in Rio have been your big goal for years. Now you've made the qualification and can make plans. What do the remaining months look like?  

I invested a lot in the past year and competed in competitions so I could bag the qualification as early as possible. Now I have enough time to prepare myself perfectly for this important race. Louis Heyer plays a very important role here, as he has been supporting my running with his super planning since January.

A number of different trainers have been coaching you for Rio. What are the three most important tips they have given you that hobby athletes could also use?  

The first tip is definitely to have confidence in the trainer! Each of my trainers had a somewhat different method of training and every kind of training can have a positive effect on an athlete’s performance. But in my opinion, if you trust your trainer 100% and do everything exactly, that’s when you get the most out of it. Further tips definitely include paying attention to your diet (you can’t fill up a Ferrari with fertilizer ;)) and never losing your enjoyment of sport or everyday life outside of sport! Because only this way will you achieve top performances.

Your races will take place on different continents in different time zones. What do you particularly pay attention to when you have a long trip to a foreign country in a different time zone ahead of you?

I am fortunate in that I am very resistant to jet lag. However, when flying I make sure that I always have a lot to drink with me, wear a long undershirt with collar as protection against the air conditioning and prior to departure, use a nasal ointment so that the mucous membrane doesn’t dry out. I am thus less groggy when I arrive at my destination and have less problems adjusting.

Many hobby athletes want to complete a triathlon once in their lives. Can you give them some tips?

• Every beginner should focus on his weakest discipline, because this is the crux when it comes to finishing a triathlon.
• Swimming in a group or drafting is not easy. It is therefore worth your while practising this in training.
• It is very important to alternate your training on a regular basis (once every 2 weeks for men, 2-3 times every 2 weeks for women). This means either going for a relaxed/somewhat faster jog after 4 hours cycling, or running as fast as possible for 10-15 minutes straight after a shorter bike ride. This helps you to practice changing your clothes and prepares the body for the switch from cycling to running.
• In a competition, it is important to either wear socks or to shake baby powder in your shoes so you don’t get any blisters.
• Drink isotonic drinks and gels regularly during the race, even if you are not hungry and don’t feel like it!

Foto: ZVG