Interview with Marina Damlaimcourt "If everything goes well, I think that by May I will be able to return to the competition"

We interviewed the Olympic triathlete Marina Damlaimcourt to see how she plans the season

 

 

Hello, Marina. A few months ago "you gave us a scare", by announcing on Facebook this phrase: "I say goodbye with a see you soon, either with or without dorsal", although it seems that the soon to be little by little is being met and will be dorsal. The first thing is to ask yourself what are you after your shoulder operation.

I feel pretty good. I had a good breakdown and I'm happy because I think I'm recovering fast. I have worked very well my recovery both with the physio and at home with exercises.

Luckily or unfortunately I have an expert in recovery of arms at home, all the experience of Guille, my husband, has helped me to know very well what I had to do. I have also had the good fortune of having a great doctor, Dr. Eulogio Martín, who has left my arm as good as new!

Still, I'm calm and I still have a lot of work ahead of me to be on top.

Therefore, you still have a few months to recover ... when do you expect to debut and in what test?

If everything goes well, I think that by May I will be able to return to the competition.

You have also announced that you would like to play several races of the French Grand Prix. These races are the second highest level after the WTS Could you tell us how you compete in GP?

Well, they are very short and explosive tests. There the important thing is the classification by teams, therefore they are also usually tactical. The teams play their tricks. Sometimes you have to throw or help some of the team you know that later runs more, other times if there is a cut you can not shoot to hook because you would annoy your team and others help you to make a better position, everything depends on the career situation.

I personally enjoy running there, I agree with girls I ran with when competing in the WTS. It's a way to keep the spark, the speed, the intensity ... and the contact with the girls that I have good relationship.

Many girls use these races as training for the WTS, so the atmosphere is more relaxed and although the races are hard, we have fun, apart from competing and winning a small amount of money, which suits us all, we enjoyed quite a lot of running there because the Careers are organized in a very professional manner and the teams look after their athletes very well. There are a lot of spectators who value the quality of the race they are watching.

Besides the team with which I run is a nice team, we are several Spaniards, a lot of foreigners and a few French too good ... among the French I am, that there I run like French ???? (I have double nationality)

Besides, you'll still be competing in MD, right? What will be your goals in 2016?

If I would like to do a couple of media, I have seen the calendar and I have marked the races that I want, but I have not yet decided exactly what they will be ... everything depends a bit on how my shoulder goes.

Marina Damlaicourt at the Challenge Salou

In 2012 you were one of the Spanish 3 at the London Olympics. To date, Spain has 2 seats in women, but we are sure that Carolina, Ainhoa, Miriam and Tamara will get the 3. What tips could you give them (especially the younger 3 who have never run a few games) for these latest Olympic qualifying competitions?

My main advice is not to get overwhelmed with the races, after my experience competing, I have learned that, AT LEAST IN MY CASE, the more I have surrendered has been when I have gone to the quiet race. Without looking at what others did, or the result that "should" do. When I have competed contentedly and without thinking too much, forgetting a bit that I was playing to participate in Olympic Games is when I had the most fun and the best results I have achieved. Although it sounds a bit atopic and we say it all, it is reality, so that is my advice.

For that, and especially Miriam, Tamara and Carol, who are those who have not yet been in a Games, I recommend that they focus on their own, that they enjoy competing and doing what they like and that if they do not get the place , nothing happens, the triathlon does not end there. They will be able to continue competing and try it again if it is what they want, because the quality to be there has it and they have already demonstrated it. I got it to the second;). On the other hand, I think that the 3 squares will be achieved and from here I send the 4 lots of encouragement and all the strength to get them.

You are one of the leading players in Spain. Could you give us some tips for each of the three segments for people who start in triathlon?

My advice is the same for the 3 segments. I see that many people train each segment as an individual sport and my recommendation is that they train each segment as part of the triathlon, for example, where it is most seen in swimming, people learn swimming as if they were swimmers, I believe that You have to learn to swim like a triathlete, with specific exercises ... I mean, it's like training a bike for MTB or road, the 2 modalities are cycling, but it does not have much to do with one another. The same in the triathlon, swim, but not in the pool, ride a bike, but after swimming and running, but not on track and also after having ridden a bike before, whereby learning and sensations are totally different.

Another tip, also for the 3 segments, and for any distance, but especially for the medium and long is the strength work, both in the gym and specifically. It is what will help us to endure the km and also to be able to go faster.

And finally, who are your main sponsors and support for this "return" in 2016? 

We are mainly my husband and me. On the other hand, I have to be grateful that the Collado Villalba Town Hall provides me access to its facilities and that Morenito Bicycles continues to behave wonderfully with me. Likewise, thank the rest of the brands that during these years ago have counted on me as the image of their products. For me it has been a pride to be able to collaborate with them.  

 This year I bought my own bike and I will compete with material from years past. I consider that a "sponsor" for a professional is not the same as a collaboration, which is 90% of the "sponsorships" that are being given today, material and little else. I have been a professional athlete since 2006, and as such to be able to have 100% dedication and have been able to be up in the World Series, in the Challenges, Grand Prix etc ... You need to be able to train, compete, attend talks or promotional events ... the time you pay your mortgage, food, car, telephone and the needs of anyone, and that you can only do with financial support, support that I have not had since 2013 (which came mainly from scholarships that I had for sports results) . I can't pay bills with sports equipment, so now my income mainly comes from my husband's work, my prizes from racing, and my personal training. www.all4training.net  . 

Thank you very much for the interview, we hope you can recover soon from the shoulder and see you soon giving war in competition. Many moods!

Thanks to you, for the encouragement and for the time you have dedicated to me ... WE WILL SEE IN SOME TRIATHLON ????

Photos: Nuria GD / Marathon Photos

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