Veteran: Even at the age of 30, Lukas Dauser has lost none of his ambition – even if the hunt for medals is no longer the focus. Image: dpa
Germany’s best gymnast Lukas Dauser talks in an interview about the pressure to perform, the Germans’ interest in marginal sports and his employment in the Bundeswehr during times of war.
You turned 30 in June and your first World Cup was almost ten years ago. Where do you get the motivation from?
I won medals at all major championships. The motivation is no longer the hunt for medals, but rather the passion and fun of the sport. Not every athlete will have the most wonderful end with a gold medal at a major competition, I am aware of that. I worked a lot with my mental coach after my injury and now I say: I want to give everything in the next twelve months and then hopefully be there in Paris, and it doesn’t matter what the outcome is. If it ends then, I can say that I gave it my all.
