Out of nowhere, the 21-year-old from Geneva is the European champion over 200 meters in Rome. Timothé Mumenthaler’s model is usually offensive – so he suits completely with the sprinters’ guild.
Timothé Mumenthaler gained the primary Swiss dash gold at a world championship since 1969.
On the boarding college within the Vaud village of Saint-Cergue, gymnastics classes are canceled as of late. The sports activities trainer fled to Rome. The trainer’s identify is Kevin Widmer and he’s Timothé Mumenthaler’s coach. Widmer, 53 years previous, sits in entrance of the tv on Sunday afternoon and watches his athlete storm into the ultimate of the European Championships over 200 meters. He instantly calls the varsity principal, asks for 2 days off, then books the flight. When he arrives in Rome, he goes to the stadium.
Widmer has a sense from the stands there. Outsider Mumenthaler leaves all rivals standing within the closing and wins the gold medal in 20.28 seconds. The 21-year-old man from Geneva achieved this victory in his first main occasion among the many activists. Widmer says the aim was the ultimate: “When he received there, it was ‘all or nothing’. We wished a base. We did not dare dream that it might be gold.”
Earlier than the race, Widmer tells Mumenthaler that he should not anticipate his opponent on the surface lane. It doesn’t swimsuit Mumenthaler to attend for the competitors. He says: “I’m hungry for giant occasions, I like massive alternatives, I’ve ambitions, I wish to encourage folks.” That is his mind-set.
He imagines that he’s a fleeing gazelle
Earlier than the race, he watches a video of a gazelle being chased by means of the savannah by cheetahs. “I saved imagining that I used to be this gazelle,” says Mumenthaler.
You may see what makes Mumenthaler tick when he walks into the Stadio Olimpico. The lights are off, a single highlight focuses on the Swiss. He imitates a cellphone name and acts as if he’s taking notes. Then he walks to the beginning block. He’s already related to the highest sprinters.
«For me, sport is a enterprise. And it was the enterprise signal for myself. And he provides with a smile: “Job achieved, proper?”
No time to have a good time: The day after the victory, Timothé Mumenthaler is operating within the relay race once more and likewise goes to the ultimate.
Typically it will get on the nerves of the carers
Mumenthaler is taken into account a misfit within the scene – gifted however troublesome to direct. That is what the officers of French-speaking Switzerland mentioned earlier than the 200 meters closing. Typically it’s a ache within the ass for the carers. For instance, when he wears one thing he likes as an alternative of the group’s official garments at competitions. He additionally made an influence on the U-23 European Championships in Espoo 2023. He was within the 200 meters closing and imitated archery nice Usain Bolt. Mumenthaler gained bronze; The sign was not effectively obtained all over the place.
Mumenthaler does not imply that in a foul manner, coach Widmer says: “That is how Timothé offers with strain. The Individuals like him and he’s hungry for victory. He’s maybe an atypical athlete for Switzerland.” Widmer says Mumenthaler pursues clear targets and states them aggressively. He desires massive – as standard in American sports activities. “I do not suppose he is a troublesome athlete. It is simple to work collectively between us,” says Widmer.
Mumenthaler made his manner into athletics ten years in the past by means of the UBS Youngsters Cup and Visana Dash, two of essentially the most profitable younger expertise tasks in Swiss sport. Along with athletics, he research engineering at EPFL Lausanne. Widmer has been his coach for 3 years. He was once a sprinter himself and held the Swiss file over 200 meters for nearly 22 years.
The primary in Rome: Along with Timothé Mumenthaler (centre), William Reais (proper) gained the second medal for Switzerland with bronze.
Widmer awakens a “higher aspect” in him
In the course of the coaching, Widmer locations nice significance on operating motion and the proper steadiness between vitality and circulate. «He has unbelievable power. We now have to steer this,” says Widmer. Mumenthaler says of his coach that he awakens a “higher aspect” in him that makes him quick.
Widmer tries to elucidate this and says: “He’s not afraid of anybody, he loves strain and competitors. That is his character, he is an impulsive man.” This impulsiveness is expressed in gestures earlier than the races, which might be exaggerated. Widmer says: “He is actually a really delicate particular person.”
Together with his massive gestures and expressive self-confidence, Mumenthaler suits completely into the world of sprinters. Individuals in Switzerland bear in mind Amaru Schenkel and Alex Wilson, the 2 colourful canines with massive mouths bursting with self-confidence. Wilson particularly has all the time been good to say till the doping ban in 2022 and has expressed his ambitions offensively. He as soon as mentioned he was so nervous he virtually “peeped his pants.”
First males’s dash gold since 1969
Mumenthaler, nevertheless, was very calm earlier than the ultimate, says coach Widmer: “He has a powerful character and the power to remain calm even in disturbing moments.” Each of them are regularly changing into conscious of what Mumenthaler has achieved in Rome. The European Championship title ought to be synonymous with Olympic qualification. The aim is the semi-finals, then we’ll see what occurs after that, says Widmer. However the Olympics are just one facet.
Swiss males’s dash medals are uncommon on the European Championships; neither the World Championships nor the Olympics have had one but. Wilson gained a bronze over 200 meters in Berlin in 2018, as did Peter Muster in Prague in 1978. A gold medal like Mumenthaler’s has solely occurred as soon as in historical past. Valais medical scholar Philippe Clerc gained the 200 meters in Athens in 1969 and obtained bronze within the 100 meters.
However that is not sufficient of the historic manufacturers. William Reis gained bronze within the 200 metres. Switzerland has by no means had two podium locations in a European Championship closing. Likewise, two gold medals in a single night is a brand new factor. A couple of minutes earlier than Mumenthaler, Angelica Moser gained the pole vault and began a magical evening of Swiss athletics. Switzerland has gained a file eight medals in Rome to this point. On Tuesday evening, Mujinga Kambundji gained the gold medal within the 200 meters closing.
And Mumenthaler? He had a brief evening. Not as a result of he was celebrating, however as a result of he was already operating the relay at midday the day after the coup. Switzerland will transfer into the ultimate on Wednesday night – the subsequent “enterprise name” is already ready.