This year you earned bronze at the European Championships and took silver behind China’s Li Yuehong in an epic competition at your home World Cup in Munich. How much has this boosted your confidence heading towards Paris 2024?
It has already strengthened my confidence. Of course it is nice when the competitions go well before Paris. It is not a guarantee of sure-fire success - but it motivates!
After your Munich competition you told ISSF TV that you had “a good feeling for the shooting, because last year I had not such good competitions and now we have changed a little bit and this could be the right way.” Can you explain a bit about this and also explain how you corrected after your “horrible” first series?
Sometimes it's just little things that matter - and in addition to the technique, the equipment is also part of it.
I already had a plan in mind for the final in Munich and unfortunately I did something completely different in the first series, with the result that I managed only one hit. But then the plan was still there and after that I was more able to do what I wanted.
So how are your preparations going now for Paris 2024 and what are your ambitions there? How much does your huge Olympic experience – bronze at Beijing 2008, sixth and seventh place at London 2012, gold at Rio 2016, fifth place in two events at Tokyo 2020 – assist your performance and approach?
My experience maybe helps a bit but that doesn't really make it much easier. I will try to do my best in Paris. My personal result I can influence. if everything works well I will be able to reach the final and then we will see how far it goes.
How much does it motivate you to have such strong home opposition as Florian Peter now it has been confirmed that you two will fill the German quota places earned for your event - and what kind of impact do you think you two can make in Paris?
Of course it's nice when Germany can bring two good athletes to the start. This also spreads the pressure a bit. Both of us will go to Paris - it was fixed some weeks ago after qualification competitions at home. But that wasn't easy either.
Earlier this year Doreen Vennekamp, the 25m pistol women world champion, mentioned the influence you have had upon her shooting career. How many athletes do you coach/advise and how do you manage to integrate this without it adversely affecting your own competition? Does it even help in that regard?
I’m active as a coach when time permits. Sometime it helps me too because you are always dealing with the technique and with your own technique too. This allows you to find mistakes or little things that you can improve or practise in the next training session. I don’t train the national team - but rather the state squad or lower levels.
German pistol shooting seems particularly strong right now, both in the men’s and women’s fields. How has this been achieved and how will it continue?
It's through all the hard work from the athletes and coaches. if everyone does their job correctly things will maybe continue like this.
Which is more important in shooting sport – the physical side or the mental side? How have you worked to gain a suitable balance?
It is really individual. For some it is more about the physical and for others about the mental. I have also tried a lot and have now gained a lot of experience in this area.
What started you in shooting sport and what is the most satisfying thing about it?
I started by a chance. It was a school trip - which ended up in a shooting club!
What has been the biggest challenge so far in your career?
It is always a challenge to stay on track, to motivate yourself again and again and not to lose your patience and determination to keep getting better.
As well as your Olympic and world medals you have won 15 individual World Cup titles since 2008. At 37, do you see yourself being involved in elite shooting sport for a long time to come? How good is it that this sport features competitors at the top level from ages 15 to 50 and beyond?
As long as I'm having fun and being competitive there is no real reason to stop! But that will be decided from year to year…