Heinz Frei competes in his last World Championship race on Saturday. At the age of 66, the hand cyclist is no longer one of the world's top athletes. That doesn't bother the 15-time Paralympic champion much.
On Saturday morning at 8.30 a.m., Heinz Frei will start the road race in the H3 category on his handbike at the Cycling and Para-Cycling Road World Championships in Zurich. The man from Solothurn will be completing his last 57.8 km in an international title race. It will be his second appearance at the World Championships in his home country after Tuesday's time trial, which he finished in 19th place.
Frei is one of the country's most successful top athletes. He is regarded as a pioneer of wheelchair sport and enjoys absolute legendary status in the Paralympics scene. He brought home 15 gold medals from 15 Paralympics. He managed to triumph in three different sports in the history of the most important Paralympic event - in athletics, cross-country sledging and handcycling. In addition, 14 world championship titles and more than 100 marathon victories adorn his impressive palmares.
Bigger upper arms than the "grandfather"
Frei is no longer a medal candidate. The ten-time Swiss para-athlete of the year takes this in his stride. "Others with thicker upper arms are now faster. That's the way it should be, not that the grandfather is still winning races here."
The home World Championships are a "nice finish" for him, says Frei. "I could have had this outcome at the 2021 Paralympics in Tokyo, with this wonderful silver medal." At 63 years old at the time, he defied (almost) all attacks from younger competitors and missed out on gold by just five meters.
Gratitude instead of melancholy
Are there any emotions at the end of the World Championships? "In the end, it's not melancholy that something is over, but gratitude and humility that it went so long, so painlessly, without an accident." The father of two, who has been dependent on a wheelchair since the age of 20 after a fall in the mountains, is at peace with himself. "I'm 66 now, I'm healthy and I can decide for myself that I'm done."
He wants to keep up his daily training. "It's my provision for old age," says Frei. He will enjoy exercising for a long time to come. "Exercising helps me to stay fit and maintain my quality of life and zest for life."
But Heinz Frei wouldn't be Heinz Frei if you didn't see him continuing to race. At least at national level, he wants to compete in a "home corner race" from time to time. "I'll give my colleagues the chance to beat me," he says with a big smile. He has been invited to the Berlin Marathon on Sunday. For him, there is no question that he will turn down this offer despite starting just 24 hours after his World Championships appearance in Zurich.
SDA
