Discus throwers Gerd Kanter and Vikas Gowda, and high jumpers Donald Thomas and Jesse Williams, visited Aspire Academy in Doha yesterday, where they met students and young athletes, watched them train and answered their questions. Below are some excerpts from that visit.
Gerd Kanter (Estonia)
“I’m very happy to be back in Doha, this is my fourth visit to Qatar. Aspire has always amazed me with its important facilities and friendly people. This will be my first competition of the season. I finished first over the past two years, so it’s very important for me to score at least one point in Doha. Every point matters at the start of the season – if I score one or two points, I’ll be happy for the rest of the year. It would be good to throw the discus 64 or 65 metres. Last year I started in Shanghai with 63 metres, and my goal is to beat that mark. Right now I’m not carrying any injury, and I hope nothing happens to me until the end of the season. I’m in full health and ready to compete”.
Vikas Gowda (India)
What did you enjoy most about Aspire today?
“Everything was special, especially working with the children and seeing the facilities. I loved everything. I enjoyed the children’s questions and was happy to answer them.
What is the most annoying question you’ve ever been asked?
I think it was about how much I eat. Some people think I eat 10 chickens and 100 eggs a day. In reality, I eat normal amounts of food and stick to healthy food like salads and so on.
What is your main goal at the start of the season?
All I ask for is good points. It’s a test to see where I currently stand. This will be my first big competition. If I get a good result, I’ll gain confidence for the rest of the season. Physically I feel good, I feel capable of throwing long distances this week. If I manage a throw beyond 65 metres in early May, that would be a very good result.”
Donald Thomas (Bahamas)
“We met young athletes at Aspire, and one boy with amazing abilities caught my attention. I like Aspire because it provides top-level facilities. I competed here in 2010, I’ve always loved coming to Qatar, the people are friendly and the competition is excellent. I love visiting Qatar and I take any opportunity if I’m invited.
I’m very excited to compete, I want to get going and enjoy my time. I hope to clear a high jump. I’m aiming to compete, achieve a high result and enjoy the sport, these are my goals in Doha.”
Are you in full fitness and free of any injury?
“Yes, I’m in full health. I had dental surgery in March and took antibiotics, but I didn’t know I was allergic to them. I had a severe reaction and was rushed to hospital. I couldn’t breathe, I panicked and felt like I was dying. But now I know I’m allergic to penicillin.”
Jesse Williams (United States)
“The facilities at Aspire are exceptional. I don’t think there are similar facilities anywhere in the world. You have everything under one roof: football pitches, a swimming pool, a boxing ring, and other amenities. There’s nowhere else in the world with all these features. Today we saw some young athletes at Aspire, and I think they all have the chance for a bright future. When you have facilities like these, you can bring out the best performance in an athlete. I wish I could train here for a year.”
