24 hours before his Olympic première, Laser helmsman Philipp Buhl is resting within himself in Rio and mentally preparing for his first Olympic regatta. In an in-depth interview with YACHT online, he talks full of anticipation about his preparations, the controversial Olympic area and important advice from his predecessor Simon Grotelüschen, who finished sixth at the 2012 Olympic Games and won the final medal race.
"Simon pointed out to me that a focussed start to the Olympic regatta is very important. He says that he wasn't ideally energised at the start," says Buhl. Four years ago, Grotelüschen missed out on important points that he later lacked to win a medal. "You have to hit the right activation level. That's the key. Because everyone can sail here," says Buhl. He was encouraged in this by team-mate Toni Wilhelm, who told Buhl after a training session in the Olympic area on Saturday that he was first put into an almost "pumped up" mood by the roaring helicopters outside and then by loud microphone tests, which he will now gladly take with him into his third Olympic start. Wilhelm started the medal final of the RS:X surfers four years ago in third place, but lost out on the bronze medal he had hoped for because the race didn't go to plan and he finished fourth. "Now I'm drawing on my negative and positive experiences and can hardly wait for the start. I feel fitter than ever before."
While Wilhelm was preparing for the start tomorrow with his coach Pierre Loquet, Philipp Buhl also had another meeting on Sunday with his coach Thomas Piesker and his father and consultant Friedl Buhl. According to the forecast by weather consultant Meeno Schrader, who is advising the German Olympic sailors on site, there will probably be winds from the east, which is unusual for Rio, blowing at around ten knots in the bay and around 15 knots a little further out.
ARD is expected to broadcast the RS:X surfers' races on the Paõ de Azucar inland course as a live stream from 6 pm, in line with the hosts' plans. As things stand, there will be a delay in showing impressions of the Laser races on German television, as the organisers have not planned any live coverage of the Escola Naval Laser course on the first day.
Philipp Buhl is so enthusiastic about the Olympic idea after his preparation time in Rio that he told his young German team-mate Theo Bauer back home that he would probably like to try again in four years' time to take part in the Games. Talent Bauer, who is aiming to take part in the Olympic Games himself in 2020, replied to Buhl with a grin: "What do you want to take part in then? In archery?"
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
