Years of preparation have come to an end. How much stress are you under now that the World Championship has started?
Reinhold Zitz: “Obviously, there’s still quite a lot of stress. It should be like this though. The tension should not and will not fall. It’s only when you are under stress that you are open and prepared to solve the problems that occur.”
How much sleep are you getting at the moment?
“About five hours. I get up just before six, do an hour of sport and then go to the office. I’m very fortunate that my hobby sport and my profession are so closely related to each other.”
What keeps you busy during the day?
“In general: solving problems and being available for my employees. To keep on reminding them that they should implement our excellent concept that was prepared beforehand, and to adjust it ever so slightly where required. We all have to be free of any thoughts for solutions, if any obstacles appear somewhere. However, my summary after two days: everything is running smoothly.”
Who would you like to see win a gold medal?
“From the point of view of fair sport, obviously all the athletes who have earned one with the best performance on our difficult ski runs. It goes without saying that a small patriot lies inside me, and he hopes that our Austrian skiing stars win some medals.”
What will you do on 18 February, the first day after the World Championship?
“I’ll drive home, unpack and then do plenty of sport. Then things get more serious … I look after the bookkeeping, so settle the accounts that are still open. Afterwards, I’ll dive headfirst into the next job.”