Sven Fischer visited Viessmann in Allendorf  

Biathlete Sven Fischer, world champion, visits the producer of heating engineering Viessmann  

Viessmann and Fischer have been connected for seven years. The enterprise is an important sponsor of the 33 year old, who won the world champion title in the relay at this year's biathlon world championships in Oberhof. In the OP-Interview Fischer talked about his goals and how he sees the future of biathlon sports in Germany.  

OP: Cyclist Jan Ullrich went out of a world cup race this week, he's supposed to be behind in his training schedule. Did you ever miscalculate in such way in your season preperation?
Sven Fischer: I do quite a lot cycling kilometers in training aswell, and I know how it training theorericly works. Jan needs these training kilometers. I'm sure his present races are just training for him. You have to vary your training. It doesn't mean he couldn't finish the race. He's aiming higher. I don't think he forgot what he's training for.

OP: Not long ago you became a father. Does that affect your season preperation?
Sven Fischer: You do some things differently and more consciously. I now spend the time with my child I spend for other things in former times.

OP: You won gold with the relay in Oberhof. What are your impressions of the world championships?
Sven Fischer: I started 1992 and in that time, the only well visited venues were the ones in Germany. On the other venues you could welcome every single visitor personally. This has changed. Fortunately I was able to experience this development. I could get used to the increasing pressure of spectators and media. It motivates me. In former times you could do your race in peace and quiet. Nowadays you can't even hear the coaches.
The relay in Oberhof was a fantastic experience. You approach the shooting range and the crowd is load and wild. And when you lie down it gets all silent. But there are athletes, who have problems with that.

OP: You said, you wanted to be an athlete as long as "body and soul are a unity". Will this still be the case in Torino in 2006?
Sven Fischer: Sometime or another the moment to quit will be there. But when and where I can't and I don't want to tell yet. Just as other athletes who are still competing. There were some who announced to retire and climbed down. I don't want that.

OP: What do you think about the up-and-coming biathletes in Germany?
Sven Fischer: There have been top performances for years, but it was a limited number of athletes, who produced them. But some day, the old ones will be too old. Younger ones with perspectives must be ready by then. There are some, but there's still enough time. Talents must have the possibility to develop. If they are urged into a certain role to early, too much things assail them and the damage is done. And: the ones being successful in the world cups for 5 years are still there. It's the job of the International Biathlon Union to create a B-World Cup or to revalue the European Cup.

OP: Would you help the up-and-coming athletes after you quit your own career?
Sven Fischer: I leave it all open. On one hand I would like to do that. But on the other hand I am honest enough not to make any promises and having to break them eventually later. Now I do my sport and after that, it's important to gradually reduce my training schedule properly. It's not easy to cope with the situation coming after sports. Something new will develop in that stage of my life and I will see what I will do then.

OP: Talking about sports and exploitation: "Some sportsmen exploit themselves that you can't avoid the word "whore"." This quotation is from you. Is that the price you have to pay for the increased interest in biathlon sports?
Sven Fischer: It is as it is in trade and industry. You give and take. If I help you, you help me. We all profit if we work together. But as a sportsman you have limitations. Everyone has to find his own limitation. And there is a danger that a successful high performance sportsman does too much PR-measures so his performance is diminished. I wanted to present that fact provocatively.