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Back from Stockholm: Interview with Bianca Zodrow
06 Dec 2011 at 08:42 | Published by: Hans | Views: 14180 | News search
Bianca Zodrow playing in Stockholm (Photo by Per Olsson 2011)
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Interview with Bianca Zodrow (BZ), Germany and Göttingen
This interview was done the 05th of December 2011. Interviewer is Hans Bergström (HB).
HB: First of all congratulations to a great season of 2011 and especially the World Championship title in Team and Match play. How do you rank this titles compared with the titles from the past?
BZ: Every title is still something special. And although my first WC-title in Papendal/NL in 1999 will most remain in my memories, there are so many great moments and memories I combine with all of my titles, each completely different and great, lots of experience I got, so I will not rank anyone of them.
Although I am naturally very grateful and proud of my current success because apparently I can still play a very good minigolf with an excellent mental attitude ;-)
HB: Can you tell our readers a little bit who is Bianca when you are not on the Minigolf course?
BZ: First and foremost I am a workaholic; I love my job and would never want to do something else. This activity often takes a good 12 hours of a day.
But on top, there is my family. I am a complete family woman and very attached to them, especially my grandparents. If I am not on a minigolf course or at work, I am often with my family.
In addition, my friends and teammates from MGC Göttingen are important for me. We do lots of things together. And believe me, during this time I do not always behave like a 31 year old woman ;-).
HB: With two gold medals and one silver you where without doubt the queen of the Stockholm Championships. How are your feelings about the competition when you are remembering now two months later? What memories are the strongest?
BZ: My first round on concrete, after which I could have returned to Germany, crying…The last moments in the women team competition…The first lane in the sudden death after stroke play and the rage that I have lost 4 strokes in the last two rounds of stroke play…And of course the last lanes in match play, sudden death included.
HB: What is your opinion about the way the Stockholm championships were played with 2 days team, one day stroke play and one day match play?
BZ: I am very critical. For me, these competitions are team competitions in the first place. We are preparing over the whole season prior to this event, each for himself/herself, in his/her home teams and then directly in front of these competitions as a team. Team Germany, Team Sweden, Team Swiss, Team….
All of this effort, only to play two days with a few rounds to determine the team champion at the end? For me, THAT is not enough!
But, of course, I know about the specifications of our sporting organizations. It is much more important to win individual titles instead of team titles. So we have to live with these circumstances.
In my opinion stroke play is one of the most fair games, which we play. Consistency is important and not one single round mixed of concrete and eternit, where a moment of luck can lead to the result that a player, who is not so good in the competition defeat a leading player. Do not misunderstand, we are all good players, but, the general statement that in match play the best player, who lead the tournament three days will win, is not always correct.
But on the other hand, I can understand the wish and the try of the EMF/WMF make our sport much more interesting and exciting. Match play can be certainly interesting and exciting and the possibility, that a player positioned on 32 before match play begins is able to win the tournament, is attractive. Nevertheless match play can be unfair. Therefore the reintroduction of stroke play is a good, balanced and fair solution.
HB: How has your success been noticed by media and people around you?
BZ: My employer, the German air force, was very impressed. Several articles in various magazines of the German armed forces were published. The daily magazine of my hometown also published an article of the world championship and my victory. Our mayor also congratulated me. Family and friends were cheering me on several occasions and we celebrate some parties. But now it is calmed down and the everyday life is back.
HB: Your 2011 season has in my opinion been the comeback season on the absolute top world level for you. Do you have any explanation on why this season was so successful after some seasons away from the absolute top?
BZ: Basically, I was never gone. 2005 and 2007 Vice World Champion, in 2009 I was not able to play because of official working matters. I think up to Tampere in 2008 I have never played so bad, but of course it was not enough to be absolutely on top. Certainly I did not have the bit of luck, you sometimes need, but mostly, I must confess, I did not have self-confidence, and I was insecure due to lack of training. And the lack of training depended on my lack of pleasure playing minigolf. A vicious circle, I broke through this year.
HB: Do you have any explanation on why Germany constantly has such success in international Championships. What is the secret?
BZ: I think something we call the German virtues, i.e. ambition, perseverance, discipline…, our German “Bundesliga“, our team feeling, our Walter;-). I do not want to tell more ;-).
HB: This year we saw a new young generation of German girls enter the scene in the junior’s championship. How big is the gap from these girls to the national team in General Class?
BZ: This I can not say for sure. In fact, I also need some time finding my way in the General Class, when I joined as a multiple European youth champion. Everyone has to experience this learning phase, I think. But, if we integrate the girls well, they will overcome this gap quickly.
HB: How does your season planning look like for 2012 and onward?
BZ: I have only been planning for one year, because of my work. I have lots of things to do and must be mobile. The duty of a foreign assignment is always given…So I want to train the youth of my home state Northrhine-Westphalia, I want to win the German team championship and I want to participate (successfully) in the two competitions that will take place in Portugal next year ;-).
HB: What happens next for you in Minigolf?
BZ: After a long winter break I will play my home team indoor tournament in Göttingen in January. After that I will slowly begin to train for our German bundesliga.
HB: If you could recruit any lady player in the world, as long as it’s not a German, to play for your club who would you pick?
BZ: Karin Wiklund and Natasja Klarenbeek
HB: Again a big congratulation to the fantastic 2011 season and good luck in the future.
BZ: Thanks a lot. I wish you all a merry Christmas and a happy and healthy new year!
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