Track cycling star Emma Hinze: "I want to be more tolerant with myself"

Created: 12/28/2022, 11:05 am

By: Nico-Marius Schmitz

Gives everything on the track: Emma Hinze.

© IMAGO/Arne Mill

Track cycling star Emma Hinze won three gold medals at the European Championships in Munich.

The World Cup was also successful.

Nevertheless, Hinze noticed: something doesn't fit here, the batteries are empty.

Emma Hinze won three gold medals at the European Championships in Munich.

And that despite the fact that she had to vomit before the sprint final.

The 25-year-old also cleaned up at the World Cup.

And then realized: The batteries are empty, my body needs a break.

In an interview with our newspaper, the track bike star talks about pushing boundaries, the period in competitive sports and lessons for the next year.

Emma Hinze, what feelings have stayed with you from the European Championships in Munich?

The EM was just really cool.

I feel like the days stuck in the minds of many.

We had a big stage, the races were televised.

So many people asked me about the European Championships and wrote to me.

This showed that showing our competitions can make a big difference.

It's also worth it: there's always action with us, there's always something happening, the competitions are exciting.

Before the sprint finale, you had to vomit.

Nevertheless, you still started afterwards and won your third European Championship gold.

We don't just do one race, but several a day.

And that for almost a week.

Especially when you get to the final.

At some point you have a lot of lactate in your body and become overly acidic.

You feel how intense this sport is.

We go beyond borders, or rather have to push them further and further upwards.

How was the feeling after winning the sprint final?

I felt free, totally relieved.

Suddenly my body doesn't hurt as much (laughs).

It was very close in the sprint, that was emotional.

Nevertheless, of course, I don't want to be in the state in which I'm feeling really bad all the time and have to struggle through it all.

That would not be healthy for my body in the long run.

It's important to me that we talk about it and normalize the issue.

Emma Hinze on the taboo subject of periods in competitive sports

You pointed out that female athletes also start with abdominal pain.

It was important to you to bring the taboo topic of periods to the fore.

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My space

It's important that we talk about it and normalize the issue.

I got shared feedback.

I have read some very negative comments.

But if someone writes to me "Just throw an Ibu in it" they didn't even understand what I was trying to say.

My friend Maximilian Levy (youth national coach, editor's note) told me that young athletes approached him and dared to talk about it, to say that they weren't doing well.

I hope I opened something there.

That was super positive feedback, I was happy and also a bit proud.

Nobody should be afraid to talk about topics like periods.

After the European Championships in Munich you announced that you wanted to sleep until the World Cup.

Were you really able to calm down?

That was all a lot for my body.

I didn't feel 100 percent recovered for the World Cup.

But you often don't really want to allow this feeling, you repress it.

That's why I gave up the Champions League.

I wanted to have time for myself again, to find peace.

Arrive properly again.

So far this has been very good for me.

The world championships were gold, silver and bronze.

A great result, one might think.

I've noticed that some people thought: Hm, okay.

That didn't sound really enthusiastic.

I felt the same way, there was always a little bit missing.

Once you've won everything, that's always the benchmark.

But my batteries were empty very quickly.

I wasn't used to that.

I usually end up having more strength than the others.

Of course, three medals are great.

Nevertheless, I noticed that something is not quite right and I have to be careful.

Is it important that you take the time and realize what you have already achieved at a young age?

I spoke to Pauline Grabosch about it before Munich.

We got so many jerseys after winning championships, but they aren't really present and go down somewhere.

We found that wrong.

We thought: You can be proud of that and look at your successes.

I've hung up all the shirts now and I know: Nobody will take them away from me anymore.

Were you able to really relax on holiday in Crete?

You're still super agitated, you have a lot on your mind.

Putting it all aside was difficult.

After competitions, I often take the tension with me into the next few days, I'm nervous and I don't sleep well.

But on vacation we slept a lot and ate a lot (laughs).

Some go on vacation and want to keep moving.

But I think I've had enough exercise this year.

What have you learned for the coming year?

Sometimes everything is too much.

You have to admit that.

Of course, in competitive sports you always have to go full throttle.

But you also have to take care of yourself and your body.

And it's perfectly fine if you sit out a race or "only" come third.

It's very difficult for my head.

I want to be more tolerant with myself.

Interview: Nico Marius Schmitz