With German national champion Marcel Nguyen out of the World Championships with a broken leg and Fabian Hambuechen's announcement that Achilles pain will limit him to four events in Rotterdam, 23-year-old Philipp Boy is likely to be the top German competitor in the Netherlands.
Boy, a high bar aficionado whose routine has a difficulty value rivalling Hambuechen's (7.0 to Hambuechen's 7.1) solidified his place as the best German all-arounder still standing by winning the men's title at the Romania-Germany-Switzerland friendly meet in late September.
At the European Championships in April, I had a charming interview with Boy, who competed as part of the German men's team that won its first European team title this year. He spoke wonderful English and, along with the rest of his team, was in great spirits after event finals, where he won the bronze medal on high bar and teammate Matthias Fahrig won floor and finished second on vault.
Here's what Boy had to say about training, his teammates and their success, as well as their plans for the upcoming World Championships.
Q: What are your emotions like right now, having had so much success at the European Championships?
Philipp Boy: "Yesterday we couldn't believe it. It was such an amazing competition for us, because we made no mistakes, we almost stuck every dismount. It was such a huge atmosphere for our team. It was amazing. It doesn't matter if Russia isn't here or anybody else -- we knew that we had the chance to win the gold medal becuase our preparation was very good. Yesterday we won the gold medal, and it was amazing. And today, OK, you think about how yesterday we won gold, today you will be doing all the best you can. I came into the arena, saw the high bar, saw the results from the other guys and I thought to myself, OK, I will only do my routine and then maybe I will win a medal. And then I stood up and...now I have a medal and I'm completely satisfied!"
Q: The team really seems to be arriving all at the same time. When you think about what's coming up at the World Championships, do you feel more pressure, less pressure?
Boy: "As I said, this team now is the best team we've ever had in Germany, and the atmosphere we have in the team -- we are such good friends, and it is unbelievable to be a part of this team. So we think we won the gold medal here in Europe, but the big...enemies? [looks sheepish] I don't know...[Blythe: Competitors?]...competitors are Asia and America and all the other guys, and we say, let's do the World Championships and know where we are. This team will be able to do a lot the next few years."
Q: Does the German national team train together, do you have regular training camps, or do you all do your own things?
Boy: "We all train in different cities, but before a big competition starts, we have a long preparation together in a training camp and almost every month we see each other for one week. So yes, we train together, but not the whole time."
Q: Do you feel competitive with your teammates?
Boy: "Everyone is wishing the best to everyone. Fabi could win the gold medal, I could win the gold medal. No matter who wins, everyone is satisfied with this result. It is the big aim of everyone to win the gold medal, but when another one wins it, it is OK. The next competition is coming."
Q: Are you planning any upgrades between now and Rotterdam?
Boy: "We have so much to do because the Asians, the Japanese, the Chinese, they are much better than us, but we want to be competitive. We have to stick."
Q: How often do you compete in the German bundesliga [the German league for gymnasts]?
Boy: [smiles] "Next week I have a bundesliga competition. The first half of the year we have about four bundesliga competitons, and the other half of the year we have about three. The last is the final. It's eight competitions. And there, we are all on teams. I'm at Cottbus, Fabi and Marcel are [elsewhere] and we are the favored teams, so we see a little bit of each other. It is a little bit fun and it is a little bit of money and that's good [laughs]."
Q: Do you feel nervous when you compete?
Boy: "Yes. I feel nervous at every competition. That's sport. Because in every competition you want to show everyone that you are one of the best gymnasts."
Gymnastics Examiner Blythe Lawrence will be posting dispatches from the Rotterdam World Championships all week, beginning with Tuesday's women's podium training. Please check back often for updates, or follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GymExaminer or click the "Subscribe" button above to receive the latest gymnastics news and results via e-mail.
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