Former World Champion Aline Rotter-Focken of Germany has postponed her retirement to participate at the Tokyo Olympics. She had originally planned to hang her boots after the Summer Games in August this year but later the International Olympic Committee and Japan decided to reschedule it to 2021 due to coronavirus crisis. Henceforth, the world number three in 76kg weight class decided to extend her career for another year.
“I would now like to go to Tokyo in a year,” she told Germany’s news daily, Schwarzwaelder Bolte.
Rotter-Frocken along with other German wrestlers was training in Turkey when the corona crisis had started. She says that she only got to know about the development on the virus outbreak after returning to Germany. “The training conditions were ideal. We only heard about the development at home in Germany via the media. It was quiet in Belek on-site (Sic),” said the 28-year-old.
– A complicated return journey from Turkey:
The return trip to Germany was a bit complicated for the grappler after rumours of the postponement started doing the rounds. “When the first news came that the Olympic Games should be postponed to 2022, I was initially a bit shocked. It would have been too long a period for me.”
But she is satisfied that the wait is only for a year before she can try to realise her dream of an Olympic medal for one last time.
The Rhinelander does not see any problem for motivation to prepare for her final climax over such a long period. “On the contrary, I even get a free time to work on our sporting construction sites with our national coach Patrick Loes,” she points out.
– Optimal training conditions
She speaks of optimal training conditions at home in Triberg. It is because her parents-in-law have a very well-equipped gym, “I am certainly a lot better off than my German teammates given the crisis.”
It is also perfect for the current European Championship bronze medalist that her husband Jan Rotter now works with her on the mat as a “sparring partner. “He has to be careful on his shoulder, but this is good for me.”
How the competition will continue for her in the next few months is still completely open. The 28-year-old has up to four hours of training every day – in addition to her home office for a large Schonacher company.
“I also enjoy the peace and can switch off very well on long walks in the Black Forest,” she reports.
Tokyo Olympics will be hosted next year from July 23 to August 9.
