That’s behind Wicki’s dream start to the season

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It’s just amazing what Joel Wicki (26) has been showing in the sawdust for the past three weeks. The Entlebucher took part in the cantons of Schwyz, Lucerne and Uri. And every time he could be taken on the shoulders and applauded. In addition, there was the festival victory over the Schybischwinget in Escholzmat. Few would have believed he was capable of such a run at the start of the season. Because Wicki had had a harsh winter.

While most wrestlers were able to focus on their work and their sport, Wicki had numerous media and sponsorship appointments. The fate of a newly crowned king. But the trained mechanic of construction machines also faces a major professional challenge. This week he has to trot the very last test of his farmer training. “Now I have to accelerate, then I’m free.” Although apprenticeship is a childhood dream come true, Wicki is happy when he can finally close the notebooks. “The course was great, I learned a lot. But it took a lot of time for the exams.”

Let’s keep going, we can do better

Wicki’s study was one of the reasons why his athletics coach Dani Hüsler wanted to keep the ball flat at the start of the season. Wicki had trained well, but was not yet in top shape, he said at the time. And what does it look like now, three weeks and three Kranzfest wins later? “Joel is exactly where he belongs right now,” says Hüsler. The three festival victories are of course very nice. And his protégé waved heavily. But there is still some work to be done on the form. Moreover, the real endurance tests are yet to come. Around Saturday, a concentrated force of Bernese top wrestlers will be waiting in Oberaargau to measure their strength against Wicki.

Wicki himself sees things very similarly to his old trainer. “Yes, it’s going well now. But it shouldn’t really be in top shape until the end of August.” Does that mean that Wicki wants to go a step further? “I think there is still room for improvement, so yes.”

A simple secret recipe

The question is where Wicki gets that enormous energy from. What’s his secret recipe? «I recharge my batteries when I can work on the farm at home. If I may go to the forest. If I can do what makes me happy.” He calls these things soul balm. Swinging is also part of it. And that comes in handy now that many eyes are on him. “I don’t care if people expect results from me . I don’t swing for them,” says Wicki, “but only for myself. Because I like it.’

Source : Blick