Sven Riederer pushes towards fourth Olympics

by Chelsea White on 28 Aug, 2015 04:15 • Español

They say that age is just a number, and while 34-year old Sven Riederer (SUI) is considered to be a seasoned veteran, the number that he likes to focus on is four.

The six-time Swiss Champion is has made his National Federation’s roster for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, which makes it his fourth consecutive Olympic Games—a feat that not many will ever be able to accomplish.

Riederer has been having an amazing year in the World Triathlon Series season so far. With three top-ten finishes in Abu Dhabi, Cape Town and Yokohama, along with finishing second in the Geneva ETU Triathlon European Championships, he continues to prove that despite his age and the ever growing competition in the sport of triathlon, he is not a name that will be dismissed.

“It makes me old for going to the Olympics four times, but it is also nice to still be in the top-ten position in the World Series, so that makes me happy,” he said.

Riederer’s first Olympics was in 2004 when he competed in Athens. In his debut Games, all the cards seemed to fall ideally into his lap as he was able to secure a place on the podium with the bronze medal.

“I thought I could get a medal because the race course in Athens was very special,” he explained. “I have never raced another course like Athens—it was perfect for my conditions. I was really motivated, it was my first Olympic Games so I had no pressure and I was really focused on this course. It just was a perfect race for me.”

Since that first medal, Riederer went on to race in the Beijing 2008 Olympics and the London 2012 Olympics. And while he did not take home a medal in the last two Olympics, Riederer has been nothing but extraordinary in the triathlon world.

As a five-time ITU event winner, his consistency in the sport has been remarkable for those who have followed his success. But now, with age coming into question, the preparation for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, is not without its modifications.

“You have to change and make the training completely different. Maybe I have a little bit more experience than the others, but I have to concentrate more on myself, from organizing my training, to organizing other things besides my sport. The recovery is also an important part now.”

Times are different from when he was getting ready for Athens. As the popularity of triathlon continues to grow throughout the world, the competition also continues to grow, with younger, faster and stronger talent entering the field every year.

“Triathlon does not have a big history like cycling or athletics, but now the sport is getting bigger and bigger. More countries are coming into the sport. I remember my first World Cup, I lost in the swim by 1:10, yet I was always in the first cycling group. Now sometimes I lose only 15 seconds and I am not in the first group. The level is just much higher. I would say the run is more or less the same but the swim and the bike has improved a lot.”

But that does not intimidate Riederer, nor does it change the way he decides to compete, because at the heart of his training and his racing is one common mentality—his passion.

“I think that what is important is to still have the passion in your body to be able to compete with all of these young and talented guys. So it is really important to be fresh in your head and your body to be successful.”

Success has been something that Riederer has experienced over the duration of his career, and the upcoming months leading to Rio will be no different. So with his eyes set for next summer, he is striving for four—or at least for now.

“After Rio I think I will try something that is longer distance, but also when I still am having fun in Olympic distance triathlon, I can be back for the Olympic Games in 2020.”

To view the entire interview with Sven, watch the feature videos on triathlonlive.tv

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