Master Almas on August 8th in Braunschweig: "Deniz runs the fastest"
Photo:Michael Kappeler / dpa
Almas, 23, a sports student and corporal in the Bundeswehr from Altburg, a municipality in Calw, won the German championship over 100 meters in 10.09 seconds last weekend.
SPIEGEL: Mr. Almas, athletics has been complaining for years that the sport is no longer attractive. How did you get into the sprint?
Almas: Very classic. In first class it was said: Deniz runs the fastest, Deniz jumps the farthest - why not athletics? As a child I tried out a lot: gymnastics, table tennis, and was in a football club for many years.
SPIEGEL: Why did you stick with athletics?
Almas: When I was 15, my trainer told me: Watch out, you have talent, we should encourage that. From then on I went to Sindelfingen six times a week, where I was able to train under more professional conditions. That would not have been possible without the support of my parents. In other families, perhaps also for cultural reasons, the meaning behind it would not be recognized: Why do you have to train six times a week to move a little? Better do an apprenticeship.
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