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Preparing for the upcoming American Cup in Chicago, 2007 world all-around silver medalist Fabian Hambüchen (Germany) told IG on Tuesday he hopes to regain the fun and focus he lost during last summer's Olympic Games.  Fabian Hambüchen (Germany) Hambüchen, who placed seventh all-around and third on high bar in Beijing, said he wants to compensate for his Olympic results with happier, more confident performances in 2009. "I still don’t really know why Beijing went like this, but I think my expectations were too high," said the 21-year-old Hambüchen. "I was thinking about the gold medal and wasn’t concentrating on my technique. The pressure I put on myself was too high, and I didn’t have a clear mind like in the years before. I lost the fun in the competition, and hopefully it will never happen again!" Hambüchen is expected to face several fellow 2008 Olympians at the American Cup on Feb. 21, including Olympic all-around bronze medalist Benoit Caranobe (France); Joseph Hagerty (U.S.); Yuri Ryazanov (Russia); Luis Rivera (Puerto Rico); Flavius Koczi (Romania); and Jose Luis Fuentes (Venezuela). In the Beijing all-around final, Rivera, Koczi and Fuentes finished 14th, 18th and 22nd, respectively. Also slated for the American Cup are Koji Uematsu (Japan) and 2008 U.S. all-around champion David Sender. Two more U.S. gymnasts and another foreign gymnast are still to be added to the roster. Hambüchen, who placed fifth at the 2006 American Cup and seventh at the 2007 American Cup, said he eagerly accepted the invitation to compete in Chicago. "First of all, the invitation brings me every year to the American Cup, and I’m appreciative of that," he said. "But on the other side, the American Cup is a fantastic competition. The atmosphere is brilliant and the circumstances are perfect. It’s really much fun competing there with other very strong gymnasts." Hambüchen said his performances in Chicago may not include maximum difficulty because of finger surgery he had in December 2008, and a case of the flu last month. "I’m really concentrating on my execution, which is what will help me to get high scores," he said. "So my goal is to hit my routines, and to have a fun and fair competition. The most important thing is to stay healthy every time." Despite Hambüchen's disappointing all-around results in Beijing, he said he has the same perspective on training and competition as always. "Training is going like the way before," he said. "Nothing changed there because my shape in Beijing was awesome. Just my head was wrong. I try to have as much fun as possible in competitions and try to concentrate on the things I learned. Competition is like training, and I have to focus on my technique." Hambüchen's competition agenda for the rest of 2009 includes major events such as the European Championships in Milan (April 2-5) and the World Championships in London (October 12-18). Although this year's Worlds will not include a team competition, Hambüchen said he is prepared to perform at his best as an individual. "I like both situations," said Hambüchen, who led Germany to the team silver medal at the 2007 Worlds in Stuttgart. "I like to fight with the team and be excited by every routine of my team mates. But at the same time, I like to compete on my own — to be on the podium and to know that you are the only one who wants to hit the routine and wants to be successful. It’s not harder to compete alone, but it’s really a different thing." Hambüchen said he is aiming for good results in the all-around and one or more events at this year’s Europeans and Worlds. He placed second all-around and first on high bar at the 2007 Europeans in Amsterdam; and first on high bar at the 2008 Europeans in Lausanne, where no all-around final was contested. "Of course, I want to be on top in the all-around and on high bar, but it won’t be easy," Hambüchen told IG. "First, I have to be in a good shape and then, everything is possible!" -- John Crumlish IG Magazine Related Features To subscribe to IG Magazine or order back issues, click here. Comments (2)
Wilson Villafana
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wow You guys !!!! great job on the website and i can't wait till the American Cup. I'm guessing it's goning to be between Fabian and one of the Americans. Briget Sloan all the way for the title too. |
patricia smith
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... I think Jordan Wieber will win actually, but maybe you're right and it will be Bridget Sloan. Either way I can't wait to watch it! |
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