Olympic rookie Anita Hollas: I hope Tokyo will work in our favor on the second attempt

“I will soon have the European Championships in Basel, which will be the mark before the Olympic peak,” says the 20-year-old member of the national team.

Is a sports vacation in Tokyo creeping into your thoughts?
The wait was too long. I am glad the Olympics are approaching.

After what is the respite caused by Covid, will Basel be a return to the race for you?
About half a year has passed. The last races were in the fall.

How slow did Covid disease slow you down?
In the last year, I have probably trained at least in my life. So if I don’t take into account the times I started … a year ago, I couldn’t go into the hall for two months. Then it took turns – it worked for a while, then it wasn’t again. I went to the concentration camp, but the preparation was interrupted due to the Coronavirus disease. Keep changing.

When we go back to the 100 days before the Olympics began, I really experienced it last year. How do you realize that?
You’re right … (Laughs) Tokyo is behind the scenes, but I’m struggling with it again. I hope it works for the second time. Last year the condition was worse, I hadn’t trained properly for two months.

Are you looking for more?
Maybe yes, but I’m glad the Games’ date has been pushed back by a year. It comes to my mind that the Olympic Games can be accomplished in one way or another.

Has anything changed in the last year?
I have a high school diploma. Originally, I wanted to extend my final year of high school to two years, but when the decision was made to postpone the Olympics, I finished school. She graduated in June and September. This year, on the other hand, I have taken a study break to train, but next year I would like to go to the College of Physical Education and Sports.

Are you following the news from Japan, what do you say about the planned measures?
The atmosphere won’t be what you’ve heard about, and it certainly won’t be games in which contestants go to cheer on their teammates from other sports. But I am still looking forward to it.