He is 22 years young and came from Cuba via Berlin and Paderborn to Winterberg for bobsleighing. Previously, Yuri Hanssen played baseball and was a good track and field athlete. He is currently in pilot training. “I’m already doing well at the start when it comes to driving, so I still have a lot to work on,” says the BSC Winterberg athlete in an interview with the Winterberg Sports Center (SZW). One day he wants to keep up with the big boys in the bobsleigh scene and maybe “annoy them too”.
SZW: Your path led from Cuba via Berlin to Paderborn and Winterberg, from baseball to athletics to bobsleigh. You are one of the hopeful bobsleigh pilots, ambitious and full of ambition. Yuri Hanssen: You moved from Cuba to live with your father in Berlin when you were twelve. How did the rest of your story go?
Hanssen: I grew up in Cuba. When I was twelve, I decided to move to Berlin to live with my father. I wanted to have a new life, that is, a better life. I wanted to do my school or my Abitur in Germany. I already played baseball in Cuba and continued in Berlin. A scout from Untouchables Paderborn was there at a talent screening in Berlin. He asked me if I would like to come to Paderborn and play baseball there. Then I said: We can do that. But my father got a big shock because I couldn’t yet speak German. But then he said: Why not? And then I became German baseball champion for the first time in 2017 with the Untouchables Paderborn.
SZW: You were still young then…
Hanssen: I was 16. I also had athletic training with Thomas Prange. As a little boy I was already pretty big and strong. Thomas asked me: Don’t you want to come to Winterberg and try Bob. I said: “Yes, sure, we can do that.” Then I met Andreas Neagu (editor: base trainer) in Winterberg, and then I had my first ride in a taxi bob.
SZW: We’ll get into that later. First, take a step back. You were a really good athlete. At the age of 18 you are, among other things, Becoming West German champion over 200 meters – that’s something to be proud of.
Hanssen: Yes, exactly. But I was a little too heavy for athletics. Back then, as a big boy, I was already 90 kilos. Then Thomas Prange said: Let’s try something different. Then I came to Andreas Neagu in Winterberg.
SZW: Do you remember your first ride alone in a bobsleigh?
Hanssen: I drove from turn 7 in the monobob. I was shocked at first because it went down pretty quickly. Somehow it still pleasantly surprised me. I thought: I’ll try that again.
SZW: What is special about being a pilot? You could have been a pusher too…
Hanssen: That’s right, I have the speed, I could have been a pusher. But from the beginning I tried to become a pilot because I like the challenge. I told Andreas Neagu that I wanted to do that. He said why not, we can try that. So far everything is working quite well. That’s why I’m still there.
SZW: You are 22 years young, a junior in bobsleigh. How would you define your current status? How far are you in relation to our great pilots?
Hanssen: I’m very realistic. I’m still young and have to work on myself a lot. The road is still long. I’m doing well in the junior division. For example, I still have a lot of rides missing in the foursome. That’s why we’re driving in pairs for now.
SZW: In the preliminary conversation you said that your goal was to get close to the world-class pilots and perhaps annoy them later, if you can put it like that.
Hanssen: That’s exactly what I mean. At the start I’m keeping up somewhat. As far as driving goes, I still need rides and experience. Maybe I can drive track sleds at the home World Championships here in Winterberg. Then I could try to keep up with the big guys somehow. And then we’ll just see.
SZW: What is your goal for this season? The European Cup could be a goal.
Hanssen: I can’t say exactly yet. I have to perform. The decision lies with the coaches.
SZW: You are a pilot for the BSC Winterberg, a prospective teacher training student. What does the 2024 World Cup mean on home soil in Winterberg?
Hanssen: The World Championships mean a lot for all athletes. We are lucky that the World Cup is taking place here. I think that’s pretty cool, said in good German.
SZW: Let’s summarize: Yuri Hanssen, a promising talent who still has a lot to learn and wants to challenge the big ones one day. Good luck on this journey and thank you for the conversation.
Hanssen: Thank you, that’s how you can summarize it. I’m at the start when it comes to driving, and we’ll work on that over the next few years.
2023-12-21 13:21:33
#baseball #athletics #bobsleigh #Sportzentrum #Winterberg #Hochsauerland #GmbH #story
