Mit - Index

Mit - UVK_Sinfo_2008_08_št.12 - Index

tHAt SOUNDS vEry MAttEr-OF-FACt.
It is. The plan has already been made. Next year I want to achieve
the distance of little over 84 metres, then in few years over
86.74 meters, which is the current world record. I will devote
everything to that, and there is no reason why I can’t succeed. But
nothing comes overnight and there is a lot of hard work involved.
Objectively, I am only at the beginning of the path of an elite
hammer thrower - they achieve the longest distances after their
thirtieth year. I haven’t realized all my wishes yet, nor fulfilled all
my dreams. It takes a lot of work, physically and psychologically.
That shows in the competition.
Yes, this is my long-term goal by 2012. My current record is 82.30
- the world record has been 86 for twenty years. I will try to
surpass it.
HOw DID yOU FEEL IN BEIJING wHEN
yOU SAw tHAt yOU’D wON?
Oh, you know, great. You are preparing for competitions all the
time, and this was one of them. It’s true that I compete with the
same contestants at all competitions and that this was the most
important one, but for me it was the least emotional. I am lucky
that I am able to remain calm.
IN ADDItION tO SPOrtS rESULtS,
yOU HAvE BEEN tryING tO ACHIEvE A
BEttEr EvALUAtION OF tOP AtHLEtES,
wHICH ISN’t SUrPrISING CONSIDErING
yOUr GrEAt rEPUtAtION IN SLOvENIAN
SPOrt, BECAUSE OF yOUr rESULtS
AND BEHAvIOUr. yOU HAvE tAKEN
ON tHE BUrDEN OF AN AtHLEtE wHO
PrESENtS tHE PUBLIC wItH tHE MOSt
UrGENt, CONCrEtE PrOBLEMS OF
ELItE SPOrt. yOU CALL AttENtION
tO INJUStICE AND SPEAK ABOUt
UNPLEASANt tOPICS.
It’s true. I am trying to achieve that athletes over 35 years of age,
when they finish their careers, would receive an allowance. It is
my idea, but also what many athletes want. I am convinced that
this should be the state’s reward for our medals.
HOw HIGH SHOULD tHIS ALLOwANCE BE?
Let’s say, two average gross incomes. Let me point out that I am
not doing this only for myself. I am doing this for all Slovenian
top athletes, for their safer future. So that they will also get paid
even when they don’t achieve results anymore, and live decently
even when their sport career has ended. Medals are worth much
more then the amount of money we get for them. They can not
even be evaluated with money.
IN SPOrt, OUr COUNtry HAS
SyStEMS tHAt FUNCtION ALrEADy
21
INTeRview
- FOr EXAMPLE, A SyStEM
OF EXCEPtIONAL PENSIONS,
SCHOLArSHIPS, EMPLOyMENtS IN
StAtE ADMINIStrAtION, AwArDS AND
vArIOUS PErFOrMANCE ALLOwANCES;
tHEy HAvE EvEN trIED tO ArrANGE
AN ALLOwANCE SyStEM. IS tHAt NOt
ENOUGH?
It’s true we have all that, but I want to get an assurance for
the time after finishing a career in sport, not for the period
when the athlete is still active. Sport today demands the whole
person. I took up studying, but didn’t finish. I said to myself:
I’d rather dedicate myself completely to sport. It is hard to sit
on two seats and do many things at once. I think that the state
should take better care of all medal winners. Former medal
winners should not live in poverty. Due to strenuous training,
elite athletes finish studying with great difficulty as well as taka
care of their social security. The Slovenian Olympic Committee
and the state concluded an employment agreement already
in 1996 that assures them a monthly salary. We all know the
logic of sponsors; they are interested in you as long as you show
results. It is almost like in the army, where there are one-year
contracts, and that presents a problem. As soon as you stop or
are not achieving good results anymore, the thing ends, and you
are left without income. Nobody wonders what will happen to
an athlete if he/she has to end his/her career because of an injury.
I’vE HEArD tHAt AtHLEtES ArE
ENtItLED tO SOME KIND OF DISABILIty
ALLOwANCE.
They are, but it is still not enough.
12 sinfo