Olympic Training Camp Preview
Source : Trim Sailing
Monday, June 09, 2008
Derby Anderson, US Sailing’s Press Officer, interviews Austin in advance of the Olympic Training Camp in China from June 13-26
Q – How does the camp work? Do your training partners come out too or is it more of just a chance to keep learning the venue?
A – For our team we bring the entire armada. In addition to our coaching staff, we will have our German training partners Marc Pickel and Ingo Borkowski. Basically we train together, we learn together and we push each other to a higher level. This is the only way to get faster. Some people might say well your sailing against your competition, this is true but I think when we work together its much more productive.
Q – What do you think about Qingdao?
A – I love China, just ask Steve Erickson. If you don’t love it, I promise it will be a very long summer. The village is first class, the event organizers were on it last summer so I have to imagine it’s even better this time around. The food is something I need to be careful with. If you get sick it could get very bad with dehydration, heat stroke etc.
Q – What do you hope to get out of the upcoming camp, and how do you plan to manage your expectations for productive training?
A – I am excited to get going again. We have been doing a lot of training around the globe and I will be happy to set up camp in one place for more that a week. My expectations are high, they should be. We will get a lot accomplished during the first session and tick a lot of things off our list. I am pumped!
Q – How will you treat this differently than previous trips to Qingdao?
A – This trip has more meaning, last year when we were sailing in the pre-Olympics my head wasn’t really into it. I was focused on the big picture, our Olympic trials. Without winning the trials I knew I wouldn’t be back to Qingdao, so I didn’t get overly excited about our results I tried to take in the experience in and learn a little bit about the culture. This year I will be a lot more comfortable, more focused and get down to business.
Q – This is one of the few times the whole US Sailing Olympic team has been together in awhile. Does that make you feel more like a group? Does it help your training to discuss with other members of this team?
A – It’s nice hanging around with other team members, but we have our own team and we have a really tight bond, my coaches and training partners I prefer to hang out with them first, they are my 2nd family. We have been through things other people don’t understand and we have a very special bond, I consider them my best friends and I wouldn’t want to go into battle with anyone else. Rod Hagebols, Hans Wallen, Steve Erickson, JD, Pickel. These are my guys. Period.
Q – With just over 2 months to go, are you noticing and changes in yourself or your campaign?
A – I have gone into cruise control at the office. I am trying to get more rest and not stress out about the small stuff. I have not taken on any new deals at the office. I am really trying to center my attention and my focus. If I take care of business over the next few months, the rest will sort itself out.