The soon-to-be 62-year-old Pius Schwizer could actually be traveling to a senior athletics world championship. But he is a show jumper and is aiming for medals in Paris with Steve Guerdat and Martin Fuchs.
01.08.2024, 10:00
01.08.2024, 10:22
SDA
No time? blue Sport summarizes for you
- At 61, Pius Schwizer is one of the oldies in show jumping.
- Nevertheless, he is as fit as a fiddle. Today, for example, he still runs 10 kilometers in between 40 and 45 minutes. His recipe? "I never smoked, never drank, always did sport."
- From Thursday, Senior Schwizer can prove himself on the Olympic course in the team competition. But first he has to get through the qualifiers.
"Condition equals concentration" - Pius Schwizer mentions this bon mot again and again. And it is true. The show jumping aces live out of a suitcase for around 200 days a year, ride countless courses, train several horses in the stables, meet sponsors, are involved in buying and selling horses, present themselves on social media or provide information at press conferences. This program cannot be managed without fitness.
Martin Fuchs attaches great importance to long walks ("To clear my head") and stretching. Steve Guerdat is often drawn to his own fitness room. "I do more than I need to in this respect," he said in an interview a few years ago. However, the amount of effort Schwizer puts in probably doesn't even come close to the sum of their sporting activities.
"I still have 'Pfus'"
"I have to be careful not to kill myself," says Schwizer with a smile. He is now 61 years old and can no longer do as much as he used to, "although I feel fit". When asked whether he still jogs the 10 kilometers at around 50 minutes, he initially reacts with a frown. The tanned over-60 sportsman doesn't know whether this remark is meant as a joke or seriously, and replies: "Never in my life. I still have 'Pfus'! I'm sure I can manage between 40 and 45 minutes."
The Lucerne native, who has settled in Oensingen, not only demands fitness from his horses, but also from himself. He is currently investing a lot in jogging, strengthening his core muscles, push-ups - and stretching. "I want to stay supple. That takes the strain off the horse on the course."
Good genes
"I'm lucky with my health," Schwizer emphasizes, pointing to his genes. "But I also do a lot for it: I never smoked, never drank, always did sport." Today, almost everyone at the top of the world is a strong athlete. "Not like in the past, when there was still a lot of partying in the scene. That's no longer possible today because of the sponsors."
From Thursday, Senior Schwizer will be able to prove himself again on the Olympic course - he was already 46 years old when he first took part in Beijing in 2008. Nothing can be won in the qualifying round for the team competition, but a lot can be lost. If a horse refuses, then that's it - there are no scratch results.
Schwizer must concentrate on his work, find the right distances to the obstacles and lead the horse cleanly. On Tuesday in the dressage, Andrina Suter rode in the shade in the blazing sun of Versailles at 36 degrees Celsius. Under these conditions, everyone realizes: fitness equals concentration.
