At his third Olympic Games and in the third different boat category, Roman Röösli wins the long-awaited medal in Paris. Afterwards, the Lucerne native is relieved.
Roman Röösli has crowned his fantastic career with a long-awaited Olympic medal. After winning bronze in the double sculls with Andrin Gulich, the 30-year-old from Lucerne spoke to the Keystone-SDA news agency about his feelings, why he and Gulich work so well together and what comes next.
Roman Röösli, for you it's definitely true that all good things come in threes, as you made it onto the podium for the first time at your third Olympic Games.
I'm really mega happy and delighted that it finally worked out.
Before the last 500 meters, you were practically on a par with the eventual Olympic champions Croatia and the fourth-placed Romanians, with only Great Britain slightly ahead of you. How did you experience the final phase of the race, how tough was it?
We could assume that it would be really tight and tough towards the end. All my muscles were getting tighter and tighter. My legs, stomach and arms started to cramp up more and more. I was pretty much at my limit for the last 200 meters, of course I had already given everything before that. I could see that we were on the podium. Of course, if we'd had more energy, we could have pushed even harder, but that wasn't the case, we gave it our all.
Can you describe the moment when it became clear that you had won a medal?
At first I was really happy, then I thought, wait, I want to look at the scoreboard first to be sure. I was so lost that I didn't know if I was getting everything right. So I waited until I had confirmation. Then I felt a great sense of relief that the Olympic medal had finally come my way.
You've only been rowing with Andrin Gulich in the double sculls since last year. Now you are world champions and Olympic bronze medalists. How was that possible in such a short time?
On the one hand, it certainly has to do with all the development work. I've been rowing for 18 years now, and every day was important. Of course, I wasn't thinking about the Olympics at the beginning, but it was still part of the build-up. With the elite it became more and more. As for the last two years with Andrin: he's a great guy, we had a really good time on and off the water. That, combined with the hard, hard work from me and the whole team, was crucial. Ultimately, it's also a team effort. We pushed each other. That shouldn't be forgotten, it all contributed to our success, as did the work of the federation, the coaches and the medical department. It's all part of it, everyone is a piece of the puzzle. My family, friends, girlfriend and sponsors should not be forgotten either. They supported me every day, even when things weren't looking so good.
Can you go into more detail about why it worked so well with Gulich?
It's difficult to say, sometimes it just fits and sometimes it doesn't. We sat together and noticed from the first training session that we harmonized. We have a similar physiology. He may be stronger than me, but we have the same idea of rhythm, which is the most important thing. That leads to a good basic speed that can be built on with hard work.
You've already mentioned the team. Switzerland now has a very broad rowing team, with six boats competing in Paris and four reaching the A finals. What is your explanation for this great development?
One important point is certainly centralization. When you train together, you can push each other. This has led to successes and motivated youngsters, many of whom have now made it to the top. Another point is the coach (Ian Wright). He is tough as nails, but the results prove him right. He stuck to the tough training plan because he knows it works. Everyone who has stuck to the program should be proud of themselves.
Are you as good at partying as you are at rowing?
To be honest, I haven't thought about that yet. Up until now, I've been fully focused on the races and ignored everything else. Now I'm taking it as it comes, letting myself drift a little and enjoying every second. But we will definitely celebrate.
Seventh in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, fifth in Tokyo in 2021 and now third. The logical consequence would be gold at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles...
(laughs) I haven't thought about what will happen next either. I just want to enjoy the moment now. I'll decide what to do next at a later date.
SDA
