Judith Wyder: “I have to handle pain”

Judith Wyder: “I have to handle pain”

Judith Wyder got tears in her eyes after her victory in central Wroclaw. The Swiss star has had to handle more than just orienteering in the last year, and in every race there’s an extra challenge.

At the European Championships two years ago she won three golds and became the queen of the games. It looked so good. Later in the year she won the Sprint and both relays at WOC in Italy. Three golds again. But from then on there have been a lot of challenges. Her performances at WOC last year were badly affected by pain in her back.

In the Sprint in Wroclaw she was again the fastest of all. “I got tears in my eyes after the race. There have been few victories in the World Cup that I have been so glad for”.

Something to handle

Pain in the back is something she has now had for a long time, but the pain can be smaller or bigger. “I am getting good treatment for the back and have become better, but I can always feel some pain. I have to deal with that”. Anyway she has got used to it and also how to handle it. “In the Sprint in Wroclaw I didn’t feel or recognise the pain at all during the race. What I am thinking, i.e. the mental part of my race, is very important”.

Her fine race both in speed and navigation gives big hopes for the year, and she has trained very well for most of the winter.

The new country

Wyder has been living in Gothenburg since January. The purpose is to be familiar with Nordic terrain before WOC in Strömstad, just a bit north of Gothenburg. “I am having a good time with being close to my Swedish Club Göteborg-Majorna OK. It’s a good training environment in the club together with the other athletes like Lina Strand”.

Strand was sixth in the Sprint Final on Sunday. That is a big step forward for the Swede, who also has had to deal with injuries in recent years.

Judith came to the big Swedish city with her partner Gabriel Lombriser. “I’m glad he could come with me. He can do his job in Switzerland whilst being in Sweden”.