Bruno Hortelano is not an ordinary athlete. The triple national record holder of 100, 200 and 400 meters, the best Spanish sprinter in history, 31 years old, is a deep, thoughtful man, who speaks slowly, long hugs and short runs, with a very marked spiritual dimension. He is currently embarking on the search for authenticity. And in recovering the maximum speed of him, the lost speed. —It gives the impression that his 2022 has been one of recovery, not brilliant but of progression. Are you still weighing the traffic accident he suffered in 2016? —Obviously the accident marked a before and after in my sports career. But the truth is that he had had physical problems before. Injuries such as adductor breaks, pubalgia, fiscal hernias, those already existed before. I have suffered before and after. —Will he continue in Madrid this year? -Yes. I continue with Pedro Jiménez, my coach, in the same group, which has been joined by another sprinter, Mario Moure. —In what distance are you going to focus on the competition for 2023? —100 and 200 meters. If my body allows it, the idea is to focus again on short distances. I haven’t been able to run the 100 meters for six years due to back problems, I didn’t see the formula to train them without injuring myself, but I think I’ve found the solution. “Leave aside the 400?” -A little. I really had to go to 400 because of the herniated disc. I put power aside because I had to be careful with loads, I’ve been more cautious with weight training. Top speed is like a cliff and you have to approach it carefully. —Do you even see yourself doubling 100 and 200 at the World Cups in Budapest? -Nope. I would choose one of the two. —And the 4×100 relay? —At the moment, no, until I see how I’m doing, it’s not in my plans. I have warned the Federation not to count on me at the moment. Are you going to compete indoors? —Yes, but as a preparation, as an extension of the training, not as an objective in itself. —60 meters? -I wish. It is the toughest test. It’s all power. Lots of stress on the spine. —He has the three records for Spain, 100, 200 and 400. They are great times. Do you think you can beat all three again? -Return. What a verb! I’m tired of always considering my life as a lap. —Do you see those three records accessible? -Yes. I think I can beat all three. Related News standard Si Athletics / Marathon Around Kipchoge: why the records come from Berlin Ignacio Romo standard Si Athletics Kipchoge, super shoes for an alien Ignacio Romo —He prefers not to live concentrated in the Blume Residence, next to the tracks… —I prefer to be in my apartment and have my routines, my lifestyle, my way of cooking… I have a special nutrition, the residence kitchen would not be good for me. Before, I didn’t eat well, I was chronically dehydrated, inflamed inside. I needed other nutrition. – How is that nutrition? —I don’t look at the macronutrients but at the microbiota. Like to feed the bacteria in my gut. -That eats? —Seeds, nuts, ferments, for example. Daily. They are like medicine to me. Kefir, goat yogurts, miso, sauerkraut, kombucha… They carry bacteria that feed my gut bugs. “And what does he dispense with?” —Let’s say that there are things that are not compatible with my lifestyle, such as alcohol, refined sugars. —What is your favorite dish? —I love pan-seared vegetables. “Has your training changed?” —The truth is that I was accumulating bad habits. The years wear us out. We have changed the technique in the weights, in the clean, now it is better. The clean is key to improve. If not, you don’t run. -On the human side, you have an important spiritual aspect, I see you very interested in Eastern philosophies… do you consider yourself a Buddhist? —I don’t consider myself a follower of ‘isms’, really. I have had an important spiritual concern since I was little, the spiritual has been infiltrating me, the need to guide the internal labyrinth. For the mental part I also have a therapist specialized in Neurolinguistic Programming. It is important to reprogram beliefs. —What do these philosophies give you? —Great truths that resonate within me. They teach me to live the most authentic life I can. They help me in that intention that I have to be successful in sport. It is a dream in which I continue to trust. This year is going to be important for Paris 2024. The Olympic Games are actually a whole cycle. —Within this search for authenticity, how do you see doping? I am a supporter of zero tolerance. From time to time, new ways of cheating appear, but I don’t want to know anything about doping. I don’t focus on my rivals, I focus on myself, on my work. Taoism helps you maintain your inner zen no matter what happens outside. I seek my personal limit. In the end, this is a game. A nice game. And there is no room for cheating. Doping is bad for health. Spot. —How do you see Spanish athletics? —There are more and more athletes with a high competitive level. The future of the next generations is being laid and there is an avalanche of young athletes, who are not going to have it easy. -Why? —The system is not designed to empower the new generations. “What system?” —The Federation. It is an outdated system. It is not designed to provide facilities for athletes, for the younger generations to grow up. His philosophy needs to be renewed. You have to reflect. There are integrity problems in the Federation. —Are you referring to what happened with the selection for the Europeans? Yes, and not only that. Things have been promised to athletes that have not been fulfilled. That’s what I mean by integrity issues. MORE INFORMATION news Yes Devon Allen’s jump to nowhere news Yes From Haaland to Ingrebigtsen: the Norwegian crown has no limits news No A deferred medal for the Spanish team news Yes The best and worst day of Spanish athletics news Yes Asier Martínez: «They strengthened the Spanish flag to use me as a throwing weapon» news Si Mariano García: «The sheep greet me, they tell me to go with them when I go running» news Si García Romo: «I find doping disgusting, it is cowardly » —Which athletes do you admire? — To Eusebio Cáceres. He fights hard to get what he knows he has inside. He knows what it’s worth and takes out the lion inside him until he gets it. I see myself reflected in him. For my struggle with injuries. And outside of athletics? — To Jordan Peterson, the Canadian psychologist. I recently saw him with Cristiano Ronaldo. I’ve been following Peterson for three years. I like his defense of living an honest life, making your decisions based on who you are. Be authentic. And there it connects with Eastern philosophies and with the concept of not forcing, of trusting in others, in nature, in being subtle… —Humility? -Yes. Humility, return to childhood. Innocence added to the experience. We don’t know everything. Anyone can teach you, even a person with less status. Treating people humanely, evolving internally, all of that is important. —100, 200 or 400 meters. What distance do you enjoy the most? —Without a doubt, in the 200. The 100 is short. And the 400 is a mental challenge, a work of suffering, of knowing how to suffer better than the one next door.
