Michael Schiendorfer has been at the side of Swiss skiing giant Marco Odermatt since 2016. He advises, negotiates - and, as he openly admits, he suffers like hell with his athlete.
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- Michael Schiendorfer manages decathlete Simon Ehammer, wrestling king Joel Wicki and, since 2016, skiing superstar Marco Odermatt.
- While Odermatt can hardly be rattled, his manager feels differently - especially during the races. The fear that Odermatt might have fallen leaves him no peace.
Anyone who hears Marco Odermatt speak is usually amazed at how calm the Swiss ski star is after a race. Hardly anything seems to upset him - neither a race nor questions from reporters afterwards. And people who know him better affirm that it is no different in his private life.
His manager feels very differently: Michael Schiendorfer says that he suffers like hell at every one of his protégé's races - whether live on site or on TV. "I'm much more nervous before every race than Marco. And the worst thing is: I've been coaching him for seven years. And it gets worse from race to race," Schiendorfer told blue Sport.
"Hey, did everything go well?"
It is not uncommon for him to ask his wife after a race that he has missed, slightly anxiously: "Hey, did everything go well?" Schiendorfer can only watch the downhill or giant slalom in peace once she gives him a reassuring yes.
The fear that Odermatt might have fallen and injured himself gives him no peace of mind. Fortunately, there have been no serious cases so far. However, Schiendorfer remembers a knee injury that Odermatt suffered during the giant slalom in Alta Badia in 2019 - which also moved Odermatt's sister to tears in the stands.
"When you see an injury like that and are very close to an athlete, it hurts incredibly," says Schiendorfer. "I always say that health is the most important thing, and you realize that in a moment like that."
