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Wrestling king Joel Wicki is one of the top favorites at the ESAF.
Keystone
Wrestling king Joel Wicki is in top form ahead of the Swiss Wrestling Festival in Mollis. Before the highlight of the season, the 28-year-old talks about the burden of the title of king, his home town of Sörenberg and thoughts of retiring.
"Ech cha ned, muess Chüeh aluege": Joel Wicki defies coach Daniel Hüsler's instructions to turn around and start the last sprint in the parking lot with a 180-degree turn before he agrees to do so after all. Cows graze on the opposite slope, attracting the farmer's attention. For all his professionalism, there is no shortage of fun in the wrestling king's training. Not even before the highlight of the season, the Swiss Wrestling and Alpine Festival (ESAF) in Mollis.
It's Wednesday morning, 8.15 am. Joel Wicki has been on his feet for a long time. Behind him lies a journey from Sörenberg to Willisau and a sweaty session in the underground garage of the "Sport Rock", which has been converted into a gym. Weights were lifted, tractor tires hurled through the air. Hells Bells by ACDC from the speakers, cheers of encouragement from Hüsler's mouth: "Spicke! Spicke! Spicke!". The energy is palpable. Here is someone who is king. And who wants to become his own heir to the throne.
Joel Wicki during a strength training session in the underground garage of Kraftkeller Sportrock in Willisau.
Keystone
A little later, Wicki, freshly showered, takes a seat on a couch in the fitness center. Despite a packed program, he finds time for an interview with the Keystone-SDA news agency.
Wicki's last serious competition before the ESAF was the home festival in Sörenberg at the beginning of August, which he won in style and for the sixth time. He made people sit up and take notice with a flawless score sheet: six wins, 60.00 points. Wicki's schedule is on track, even though a knee injury in June forced him to take a month's break from competition.
His comeback was all the more impressive: victory at the Central Swiss competition, where the guests from Eastern Switzerland led by Samuel Giger and Werner Schlegel had been considered the favorites. Victory on the Brünig with a spectacular flat throw in the final round against Matthias Aeschbacher, whom he had already defeated three years ago in the battle for the title of king.
When asked whether the spectators are currently watching the best Joel Wicki of all time, the king is evasive: "I'm in a good mood at the moment, I'm enjoying being able to go into the sawdust without a care in the world. I'm really looking forward to Mollis - even if there's still a lot to do at home."
The separation between sport and private life is important to Wicki. When he goes to training, his focus is solely on wrestling. When he is at work or working on his farm on the alp, his environment and his animals enjoy his full attention.
Sörenberg, situated at the foot of the Brienzer Rothorn in the Entlebuch, is Wicki's retreat. This is where the king escapes the hustle and bustle, where he can switch off. "It grounds him extremely well and also helped him after the title in Pratteln," says Hüsler, adding: "From one moment to the next, you are elevated to the throne. You can't prepare for that. And the title of king doesn't just have its sunny side. You're the hunted, there are people who want to see you fall."
Hard and strong on the outside, his muscular forearms and well-trained torso conceal a soft core. "I do care what others think and say about me. I don't want to come across as a bad person in public." It hurts the wrestling king "when things are said or written that aren't true". Wrestling is not about life and death, but about joy. "Certain people sometimes forget that."
After last year's poor performance at the Federal Anniversary Wrestling Festival in Appenzell, Wicki was no longer considered by many to be one of the favourites to win the title of king in Mollis. In the Sörenberger's camp, "every stone was turned over". He was beaten in Appenzell, but did not have a good festival either, says Wicki.
From the coach's mouth it sounds like this: "We did an analysis, questioned everything and found things that we could improve. Nutrition, athletics, technique, tactics: we tried to make adjustments in all areas and 'chutzel' the engine. There is always the danger of over-revving."
Wicki and Hüsler are a well-rehearsed team. The two have been working together since 2011, during which time Hüsler has become a close confidant and friend. The Lucerne native was himself a successful wrestler, winning eight wreath festivals and three federal wreaths. He also made a name for himself on the wrestling mat and is a multiple Swiss individual and team champion.
When Hüsler talks about his protégé, he goes into raptures. "I've been on the wrestling circuit since 1983. In terms of intensity and explosiveness, I haven't seen anyone comparable." At 182 centimetres, Wicki, who is rather short, manages to put even physically overpowering opponents on their backs.
"The mixture of flair, intuition and instinct, coupled with discipline, is very, very rare. Joel's mentality is outstanding. I only know this in a similar form from the Caucasus, where the world's best wrestlers come from," says Hüsler.
From the high mountains of Eurasia back to central Switzerland, where rumors of Wicki's retirement persisted this year. His passion for working on his own farm, for hunting and fishing and his ambition to start a family one day were too great for him to juggle everything.
"I haven't made a decision yet, I can't say what will happen next," says Wicki about the speculation. No confirmation, no denial. Just this much: "Sometimes you think about when the right time has come. I don't want to stop when I'm physically unwell. Because for me, there is life after swinging. The body needs it there too."
A glance at the clock: it's time, work is calling. "Now we have to get going."
The king and his heir to the throne? After Pratteln 2022, Wicki is also aiming for the title in Mollis
Image: Keystone
26.08.2025, 16:48
27.08.2025, 08:45
