Sascha Lehmann: “I want to make it to the final at the Olympics”

Sascha Lehmann is the first Swiss climber to qualify for the Olympic Games in Paris. In this interview he talks about this dream that came true in Budapest, his ambitions for the mega event and his preparations in the remaining weeks.

The news about the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris is presented by Mammut and Unparallel

Sascha, at the qualifier events in Shanghai and Budapest you won one of the coveted last 12 Olympic tickets. How does that feel from today's perspective with some time in the distance?

Sascha Lehmann: I've been able to process what I've experienced. It's unbelievable. At the beginning, the whole thing felt surreal. I've been working towards this ticket for a long time. Back then in Tokyo, I didn't quite qualify, which was definitely disappointing.

The fact that it worked this time and everything fit together is amazing.

Sascha Lehmann

Qualifying for the Olympics was your main goal for the season. How long did you train for it and how does the preparation differ from a "conventional" World Cup season?

I've had the Olympic goal in mind ever since sport climbing became an Olympic sport. That's why it was clear to me that participating in the Olympic Games was my main goal again this year.

The training influenced it in that the combination and not the individual disciplines are climbed in Paris. Otherwise I would have focused more on lead climbing and geared everything towards that. So the combination was more in the foreground and I did more bouldering training and took part in more modern competition bouldering.

Of course, the timing has also changed. We planned the intensive blocks so that the peaks were in the lead up to the Olympic Qualifier Series and I was well prepared and refreshed at the start.

After the World Cup and the European qualifiers, it was clear that only Shanghai and Budapest remained to qualify. How did you deal with this pressure?

In order to qualify for the World Championships or the European qualification event, everything would have had to go perfectly. Everyone was still there and only a few Olympic tickets were awarded.

Accordingly, it was ultimately no surprise that participation in Paris resulted in the Olympic Qualifier Series.

Sascha Lehmann

How did you experience the two events in Budapest and Shanghai?

What was exciting for me was that I was relatively relaxed before Shanghai. I was happy to be there. I just wanted to see where I stood and give it my all. In the end, it worked out great and I was in a very good starting position with 5th place.

In Budapest I was much more nervous because I knew that now it was time to close the deal and bring the ticket home.

But I also knew that it was doable and that I was fit enough and that gave me a lot of self-confidence.

Sascha Lehmann

Does the pressure come primarily from yourself or from outside?

I put the most pressure on myself through the goals I set for myself. That's why focus is so important to me. What do I want to focus on when climbing? What have I set myself for this competition? It helps me to concentrate on a few things, such as breathing well and climbing with clean technique.

For me, nervousness is also something that pushes me and helps me to achieve my best performance. Pressure usually helps me to give my all in competitions.

When you are in the iso-zone before your performance, do you notice what is going on on stage?

I notice quite a lot because I never wear headphones. I also usually try to absorb and perceive the atmosphere and get involved in it.

Shortly after successfully qualifying for the Olympics, you narrowly missed the finals at the Lead World Cup in Innsbruck. Did you hope for more?

I was definitely disappointed after Innsbruck. On the one hand because of the result from the previous year, and on the other hand because of the qualification, where I finished in first place. It was therefore clear what would have been possible.

I certainly didn't climb at the top level in the semi-finals, maybe even a little cautiously and lost my composure at the end. I was disappointed that I couldn't keep up the consistency and make it to the finals regularly.

Innsbruck wasn't a bad competition at all, but when you're so close, you obviously always want to be in the final.

Sascha Lehmann

In your place, your teammate Jonas Utelli made it to a World Cup final for the first time. How was that for you?

That was, of course, amazing. I've been training with Jonas for a while now. It's great to see that he's finally bringing his strength and potential to the wall. In training, you could see for a long time how fit he is and what he's capable of. The fact that it's worked out now is, of course, really great for him.

Of course, I really hope that we will soon be able to play in a final together and thus achieve something almost historic.

Sascha Lehmann

What role do World Cups play in your Olympic preparation?

My last competition before Paris will be Chamonix in about two weeks. But this is mainly because Chamonix is ​​a very cool competition with a special atmosphere.

The World Cup season is definitely second this year - like for many others. Paris is the big focus. But ultimately I just like competing because that's what I train for and work towards every day.

Using Innsbruck as an example, can you describe how you analyse a World Cup and what you learn from it?

After the competition, we look at the video recordings and see how I climbed. You think about how the route felt, or how you warmed up and how it felt to climb afterwards.

In Innsbruck, we saw in the qualification that our fitness was good. So we can continue with our training and don't have to change anything fundamentally. In the semi-finals, a few tactical things emerged that we will work on: for example, how I approach a route or what I want to concentrate on.

Innsbruck showed that I have more trouble with open holds, i.e. when things get more physical, than with endurance climbing on ledges. We will therefore focus on this in training.

In a month you will be racing in Paris. What are your goals?

Enjoyment is definitely an important point. I want to soak up the atmosphere and experience this event as such. But of course I also want to perform, give it my all and show my best.

My goal is to be in the final of the best eight and to get one more day of climbing there.

Sascha Lehmann

What are you focusing on in the remaining weeks of preparation?

The next three weeks will be marked by more intensive training. There will definitely be some endurance training, for example 20 moves of bouldering, to train the intensive and tough moves in one go.

Bouldering will also remain an important part. The last two weeks of competition preparation are all about doing good quality training. We will probably do one or two competition simulations again so that we are refreshed and well prepared for Paris afterwards.

In Paris, you will be in the spotlight. Does this idea only evoke positive feelings in you or does it also have negative ones, such as fear of failure?

I have mainly positive feelings associated with the Olympics. I'm just looking forward to climbing on that stage and I think it's going to be an amazing atmosphere.

I just want to absorb everything and transform it into positive energy.

Sascha Lehmann

Of course, there is always a small part of negative thoughts like fear of failure. But if you have made it this far, then you have shown that you are one of the best competition climbers. Mistakes can always happen, but that is just part of it in the end.

Behind a professional athlete like you there is a whole team of people who support you. Who will be with you in Paris?

At the Olympics, the number of coaches is limited due to the size of the event. That's why I'll be traveling with two coaches. It's great that Paris is so close and that my family can be there with me. Not in the Olympic Village, of course, but at the venue. Being able to experience the Olympic Games with my family, my girlfriend and my brothers is really great.

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Credits: Cover picture Lena Drapella | IFSC