“The City Center is fantastic”

16 March 2010

Tomas Wiker, the head coach of the Swedish team visited Budapest last week and together with LOC race director Balazs Pal they checked out the courses of the Grand Final.  World number two and last year's runner up Lisa Norden will participate at the Grand Final in Budapest. We chatted with the captain before he left the city.

Have you ever been to Budapest before?
No, this was my first time here.

Which part of the course did you like the most?
I think the bike and the run courses through the city center are fantastic! Both the elite and the age group athletes will have something extra to look forward to.

Have you had a chance to do any sightseeing?
Yes, I did a short visit to the Turkish bath Rudas. It's an mazing bath, over 500 years old.

What is your team's goal in the new season?
We focus on bringing a strong team to both the European Championship in Athlone and here in Budapest later on in the season. Our goal is to take two championship medals in short or long distances.

How did your team prepare for the 2010 season?
Lisa Nordén is training in Canberra with her coach during the winter. She will start her season in Sydney in the beginning of April. We also have a development team that at the moment is preparing with a 4 week training camp in Mallorca. We will also do some early races in the European Cup.

How do you evaluate your team in 2009?
Last year was exciting. We took our first world championship medal in the Olympic distance. Lisa Nordén's season was extraordinary with five podium places in the WCS. We also established our development team with ten young and hungry athletes who are eager to explore the world of triathlon.

Do you like our favorite Hungarian snack "Turo Rudi"?
Well, I don’t want to be rude to the Hungarian people, you guys obviously love this candy, but I didn´t like it - sorry :-(