After silver in 2010 and bronze in 2014, the 36-year-old won the title in his fourth game. In the finish area immediately after the “Flower Ceremony”, Karl spoke in an interview about the meaning of this victory for him, about the importance of the mental aspect in his sport and his strength in it, his family and other points.
Question: Congratulations on the Olympic victory. How was the situation for you when you stood in the starting gate in the final and knew that gold was at stake now?
Benjamin Charles: “After I made it into the grand final for first and second place, you know that you’ll definitely have a medal. It’s just incredibly nice to know that it’s fixed now. And everything that comes next is a bonus . But I had so much gold in my head. I’ve seen myself on the podium all day with the gold medal – I could see it. Now a ten-year-old boy’s dream has come true.”
They have already won so much, are record world champions. How can you focus so successfully again and again?
“The medals before that don’t go around in your head at all. The only thing I thought about in the final was that I’d had this situation before, which Tim (final opponent Mastnak/SLO, note) didn’t. That is an advantage that I can use, but for me it’s not about completing the set of medals, for me it’s about this medal – the gold one.
Exactly what advantage had you been able to take from your Olympic finals experience?
“Parallel races are a big mental game. And if you’ve ever been in a situation like this where it’s about the biggest title you can win in your career, when it comes to that and you’ve been in that situation practiced more or less, then you have an advantage. Anything that you practice more than the other, you have an advantage.”
This day X – are you mentally stronger than the competition?
“I think I’m mentally strong. I’ve proven that many times. I can prepare extremely well for major events. Mentally it’s war. It’s very, very difficult. It’s almost impossible to describe, you have to think about so much “You think about the other racers, then you think again, you have to stay true to yourself, you think about the run and then you think you just have to have faith. A thousand thoughts go through your head – during the race, before the races and we have so much time to think in between. It’s a struggle mentally. But I thought to myself today, I’ll fight this war because today it’s really paying off.”
Have you had the opportunity to get in touch with people at home?
“No, as it always is after great successes, you can’t enjoy it at first, but you get torn apart. But I accept it now and it’s nice, that’s part of it. Then I’m happy in peace in the room or when I’m on my way to the room and I’m on my own, then I’ll phone my wife, my children. And mom, she’s been with me for life. Thanks to her, I’m where I am. My “Family, that’s where you left mum when I was in my early 20s and I put myself in the arms of my wife more or less into a new life, into a life with a family. I’m very grateful and proud of that, I found such a great family and got to live such a great life.”
Source: Nachrichten
