The king fights broken: how long can Wenger last?

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The German poet Bertolt Brecht once said that great sport begins where it is no longer healthy. And hit the target with it. Probably many wrestlers would also sign his statement. Almost every bad guy will deal with injuries and recurring pain during the course of his career, but at the latest towards the end. Even a struggling king like Kilian Wenger (33) is not immune to that.

In June he had to cancel his participation in the Stoos at short notice due to recurring back problems. A double hernia makes things difficult for the father of the family. There are also signs of wear. “If you keep doing the same movement during training, your body will eventually wear out. That’s the case with me.”

Warm up, stretch and cortisone shots

At the moment, however, the back is stable. That’s not by accident. It is a constant balancing act between rest and training, effort and self-control. A balancing act, as Wenger calls it. The precautions – good warm-up, stretching, mobilization – now take twice as much time as at the beginning of his career. The Oberlander has also resorted to cortisone injections. The king of wrestling sees the physical therapist about as often as the fitness trainer. And Wenger slowly knows how the body ticks. “You learn that over time. At some point you know if something has been pulled or torn.”

But all this hardship is worth it for these short beautiful moments in the sawdust. Whether in the swing cellar or in the arena. Because even though the last festival victory, especially at the Brünig, was a while ago and Wenger had to cheer for empty ranks in 2021 because of the corona pandemic, he still hasn’t had enough. “My career doesn’t last forever, that makes sense. But I’m still enjoying it too much to just stop.”

And although the Diemtig valleyer has already collected more than 100 wreaths and crowned himself at the ESAF in Frauenfeld in 2010, there are still goals to be achieved. “I would like to celebrate another festival victory.” He will make his next attempt on Saturday on the Weissenstein Schwinget.

let reason prevail

But isn’t he afraid that now, at the end of his career, he could permanently damage his body? “No. If it gets too much I won’t put my health at risk, I’ll just skip a party.” Even after his active career, the back problems will still plague him from time to time. “But then the burden is much smaller. I don’t worry about everyday life.”

But it’s not that far yet, the last active Bernese king is still waving. At least until it’s not spun. And maybe a little longer.

Source : Blick