Interview with Sven Lützkendorf [2009]

Without giving away anything that might put you at a competitive disadvantage: What are your finswimming strengths? What are your finswimming weaknesses? What do you do to work on the weaknesses and maintain or build upon the strengths?

My strenghts? Maybe that I could move like a snake. But my weakness is that after the returns I didn’t dive ’till 15m. I need to breath. I training very hard. And my trainer let my swim distances like 800m SF with 20m diving. I hate it! But I need it to become better.

In a more general “life” sense, what makes you a stronger person?

? What could make me stronger? Definitly my study. I’m not the best. I must work very hard for it. And if I didn’t become a good result it’s like a loose. But every loose makes me stronger (like Bari and Thaiwan ^^)and let me work much harder!

When did you know you could achieve the level of success you have?

Since the last year. But I couldn’t shown it.

What makes you want to succeed at finswimming at the highest level – what drives you to want to be the best?

It’s not very important for me to be the best. Ok,… maybe deep insite. But all in all I only want find out how far I could go. And how I could develop myself. The rest is only “bonus” (like my trainer D.Franke say).

What is the most difficult or challenging workout you have ever done, and do you want to do it again (or have you done it more than once)?

Yes, I’ve done a lot of difficult workout. Belive in me. But it’s a “company secret”. And I must repetae it more than once! And I want it.

When you are in the midst of a very challenging workout what goes through your head – what do you think about or tell yourself? What does your coach tell you?

I know what I want. In the poolarea my coach have done some tricks. You know Micheal Beer? When I must swim a distance like 8times 100mSF Micheal is sprinting against me. But he only swim 50m SF and wait ’till I restart the next 100m. And he must wearing a swim-cap that was painting by my coach. On the one side stands “Stefano Figini” with the Italienflag and on the other was standing “Tzuanakis” with the greeceflag. Mmh that could be a motivation.

Would you share a moment in your finswimming career that was not fun (or did not feel like anything positive could come of it) when it happened, but looking back, taught you something that has helped make you a better finswimmer?

All in all is there only one think that makes me better and better. I need it to loose. I must have been kicked down! I must breack up the competition in San Marino, I must loose in Bari and I must have trouble with my ferderation and the nationalteam. After all this moments I start with training. For example last year. While the nationalteam was in Eger, I praktice every day 6-8h per day, 7 day’s the week. And if it’s painfull… it was wright. And with this psucholgie thinking, with my hatefeelings and the pain I every time restart. That year helpes me that Steffano makes me looking like a fool in Kaoshiung.My trainer, doktor’s and I decide that we only want swimming 800mSF and 1500m SF. No 400m SF. But the 800m and 1500m I must rock!

What’s your favorite food?

I eat to much! I love it! Pasta, chicken, eggs, spinach and potatos.

What things do you think are important for finswimmers to “be sure they do” in a workout or a meet (assuming these are things you always do, too)!

Eat the right thinks(only legal stuff! No doping!) at the right time. And find a good warm-up programm for your self. The rest is company-secret!

Do you have anything else to share with our readers?

Mmh. “Der Kampf geht weiter!”