– He’s an old man, but it’s really bad that he’s so fit, exclaims Kjetil André Aamodt, when he hears about his great role model Ingemar Stenmark’s latest “feat”. Because after having trained pole vaulting for around a year, Ingemar Stenmark (68) swung over three meters in the veteran World Championships in Athletics on Monday. It secured the all-time winningest male alpinist a ninth place in the over 65 class. – He is simply unique, and that is why, in my opinion, he is the male alpine climber of all time. So it is not very surprising, says Aamodt. IMPRESSED: Alpine legend Kjetil André Aamodt brings out the superlatives after Stenmark’s WC feat. Photo: Javad Parsa / NTB And it’s not just our own alpine legend who bends in the dust. On Monday, things took off at the stadium in Gothenburg, when Stenmark got things going. – The jumping is not good, but I have development potential, says Stenmark himself to SVT after the competition. – The damn fit Swede, with his startlingly good physique, has never been known to exaggerate on his own behalf, even though he has reason to brag about himself both in the past and in the present. Because if you think it’s easy to swing over three meters on a pole, think again. Atle Guttormsen is pole coach for his sons Simen and Sondre – who both took part in the Olympics in Paris. The coach can sign that this is definitely demanding. – It shows that he is damn fit and that he has learned something, which is technically difficult. Because he jumps what looks like a pole, Guttormsen says of the 68-year-old Swede. OVER THE BORDER: Stenmark swung over three meters in the veteran WC on Monday. Photo: Adam Ihse / TT / NTB Stenmark terrorized the competitors and made almost a clean slate in alpine skiing for a number of years in the 70s and 80s. But the Swede is still level, even if he is now going over the list and not around the gates, as in the old days. For Guttormsen points out that jumping over three meters only gets worse year by year, as you get older. – I saw the first jumps he did, and he took it surprisingly well. If you’re going to jump over three meters when you’re 68, you have to be more than fit, says Guttormsen. STAVFAMILY: Atle Guttormsen with his two sons Sondre and Simen, during the Olympics in Paris. Photo: Stian Lysberg Solum / NTB Will see more like Stenmark The coach points out that three meters is 65 centimeters behind the winner of the competition and that it is therefore not an “insane” result, but that it is strong. – He has a bit to go on. But I think it’s good and funny. I wish more top athletes could take themselves a little less solemnly and do something like this, and show what goes on in old age, says Guttormsen. And it is clear that Stenmark’s “comeback” at the sports arena was a draw in Gothenburg on Monday. Because the main stand was full when Stenmark secured 9th place and three metres. – I started with a stick to test it out. As the World Championships were to be held in Sweden, I thought I would take part, but otherwise I have no ambitions to compete, says Stenmark and continues: – I pole vault mostly for the sake of training. Some play padel. I pole vault, says Stenmark. TREKKPLASTER: Ingemar Stenmark lived up to expectations when he secured a season-best result in the WC for veterans in Gothenburg. Photo: Adam Ihse / TT / NTB – Impressive The performance causes our own alpine legend Aamodt to express great superlatives. He points out that Stenmark is very versatile, has run very fast and is both resilient and fast. – It is impressive that he keeps it going. If you stop at that age, the body rots, so this is motivation, says Aamodt. Aamodt himself chuckles at the question of whether pole vaulting is something for him and strongly rejects it. But the former Olympic winner still believes that it is possible to bring something from alpine skiing to athletics and pole vaulting. – Yes, you train very versatile as an alpine skier. It still requires hard work and you must have some sick genes. It might have been shot put if I were to try, but I don’t think athletics is something I could go far in, says Aamodt. HELT: Ingemar Stenmark has a whopping 86 World Cup victories in alpine skiing. Photo: AP Published 19.08.2024, at 20.26 Updated 19.08.2024, at 20.49
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