Behind the track: Krystyna Guzik "My goal is to win the Olympic Games in Sochi"

The number one...

She really is! In the Polish biathlon team. Last season she reached 17-th place in the World Cup and she wants to be better. To get higher, to achieve big results.

It was very nice talk. Thank you Krystyna Guzik. You can meet her too in this exclusive interview. 

Last season was the best in your career. What are your expectations for the new one? To be the number one in your team again?

     “Yes, last season was the best in my career. I had a lot of good competitions and also a lot of possibilities to be on the podium. I know that I can be really good. I work hard for that goal. Every year I try to change something to become better in competitions. I think this year could be better too. I had a lot of good work this summer. But who knows? Let´s see in winter."

Were your training camps so good this summer? Do you feel strong for the races?

     “This summer I had many training camps with many hard trainings. But In May I broke my foot during one basketball game, I had to go on surgery so of course I miss some of them. While rehabilitation my training was only riding my bike because I couldn´t do anything else. But time passed really fast. Thanks to my really good physiotherapist that worked with me every day so I was back in hard trainings really fast. Anyway I feel that I am stronger and ready for new season.”

You know how it feels to win gold medal, you have one from junior championship. But if you could choose medal from the big senior event, what would you like to win most? World Cup, World Championship or Olympic Games?
     “I would like to win Olympic Games. This is my biggest dream. But of course it would be great if I could win any race of World Cup or World Championships. But to make it happen there is really a long and hard way to go. But I like this way.”

So you looking forward to Olympic Games in Sochi and you have big ambitions…
     “Yes, I am looking forward to Sochi. I´m focusing on that and I think this will be my last Olympic Games. But I would like to go also to Korea 2018, but who knows because I will be just too old. Anyway Olympics in Sochi are now in my mind. My ambitions are always big and my goal is the gold medal. But I will be also happy for silver or bronze. Olympic Games are the most important competition for me. When I was 15 years old I have always been dreaming to go to Olympic Games. My dream came true 5 years later in Torino 2006. And my 5-th place there was great result for me. There I got new dream and it is with me until now.”

She feels every support from fans

Maybe you will achieve the medal in relay. Anyway, if you could form your own relay dream team, who would you choose?

     “I was always dreaming about having strong relay team. It´s easy to choose perfect strong team with the best athletes. But I am happy with my national relay team. Every year we make some step to be better. We have the chance to be really good."

What about biathlon fans in Poland? Do you think biathlon is popular in your country?

     “It is popular but not so much as in Germany. But every year we get more biathlon fans. In Jakuszyce we will have new biathlon stadium in the future. I think it will be really big and great and we will get also big events there. But right now we need to have some good results to make biathlon more popular in Poland."

Maybe achieving the medal?

     “I think yes. This is the first point to make biathlon more popular in Poland. I think that women team is on a good way to make it real. But this have to be only in Winter Games, World Championships or World Cup. I mean big event.”

Mountains are Krystyna´s big love

It´s a shame that there is no big biathlon event in Poland. But if the there was World Cup or World Championship, biathlon would be more popular too.
     "Yes. If we have some big event in Poland like World Championships then I think biathlon will be more popular. But for now we had only summer World Championships which were in 2010. Popularity is one the reason that we haven’t enough good biathlon stadiums In Poland. But after World Championships in Duszniki our stadium looks better every year. This is good for us because we can also have really good training camp there."

Is there any World Cup place or stadium – the special for you – that you feel more power, more emotions, more support from fans?

     “Every biathlon stadium has something special and brings different emotions. And no matter what stadium, supporting from fans is always with me. But if I had to say which stadiums is the special for me, then I can say that Turin- San Sicario and Vancouver- Whistler. These are the stadiums which gave me a lot of emotions and which were the special for me."

Krystyna works hard to achieve her goals

Tell us something about your favorites. What do you like to do most when you have free time?

     “Hmm, there are a lot of things. I am kind of person that always must do something. Most of the free time I study medicine and read some books. Also cooking. Maybe I don´t cook often but I really like to do it. I also have 2 big dogs which I love to play with. When I am at home then I always spend a lot of time with them."

Is there any other sport that you like?

     “Lots of other sports. Biathlon is my passion my life and my work, but I like to do some other sports too. I haven’t much time for other kind of sports because of biathlon but the rest of the time I like to play tennis, golf, I like skiing, swimming , fitness etc. And I also like all motorsports too. I love speed, fast drive and to make some crazy things. I also love mountains, just walking and trying to reach the top..."

What about football? Have you been watching EURO 2012 that was in your home country?

     “Yes I watched them all. But only on TV because I was on training camp. I couldn’t be  in Poland and watch it live. I was with our team. They were not the best but the Championship won my favorite team (Spain)"

The whole season is about mountains. Do you like relaxing by the sea?

     "I prefer mountains. But sometimes it is good to relax by the sea. For me it is not so easy to relax there. I always search things that I can do there. Of course I love relaxing too but most of the time I spend in water - swimming and doing all kinds of water sports."

Sport is sometimes about betting. What about betting in your team? Are you doing some bets before races? Maybe about changing hair colors etc...

     "Usually we never make some official bets in our team. But sometimes there are some funny bets and of course about changing hair colors too. But more often about something funny to do. But I can’t tell you about it :) "