Perseus, you’ll be racing in Poděbrady for the sixteenth time. Do you still remember your first start?
I remember it absolutely clearly. It was in 2007, and it was my first major international competition. I was about to turn seventeen in a few days. Sweden was competing in a national team match, and I was really looking forward to racing there, because I had previously seen my older brother Aton compete in Poděbrady several times. I remember the field was huge—I had never raced in a group of more than twenty walkers in my age category before.
How did that international debut turn out for you?
My goal was to meet the Swedish qualifying standard for the World Youth Championships at the time, which was set at 48 minutes. I felt good, and I remember beating the required time by eight seconds. I was so happy—I ran to my team at the refreshment station. But then I found out there had been a mistake on the results board, and my time was actually 40 seconds slower. Within five minutes, I went from being happy to devastated.
You’ve had a lot of success in Poděbrady and have won there several times. Which victory do you remember most fondly?
Without a doubt, my first victory in 2016. I was on the rise, and this was definitely a breakthrough race for me at the senior level. I had just come from a training camp at high altitude in Mexico City and felt amazing. Everything went perfectly, even though I found myself leading right from the start and stayed there until the finish. What makes this race unforgettable, though, is that it qualified me for my first Olympic Games, which were held that same year in Rio de Janeiro.
Why do you like coming back to Poděbrady?
It’s always a very well-organized race with a great atmosphere. In my opinion, it’s by far the best course in the world—it brings out the best in everyone who competes there. Everyone wants to stand on the podium here.
Have you ever had time to explore the town?
Even though I come regularly, I haven’t explored much of the town yet. I like the main square. They have good ice cream there, so I make sure to have some every time.
What do you think about the change in race walking distances? Now events are held over the half marathon and marathon instead of 20 km and 35 km. You’ve already tried both.
I think it’s a step in the right direction. The 20 km and the half marathon are basically the same race, so there isn’t much change there. However, the shift from 35 km to the marathon is excellent, because race walking is an endurance sport, and I think it will bring back greater specialization—athletes will need to be more specific if they want to handle the marathon as well. The biggest change, though, is that we’re now aligned with the rest of the endurance world, which makes us easier to understand. The times can be clearer and more meaningful for the general public.
