– I can’t say this on TV, says this year’s athletics comet, and laughs. The interview takes place during the Olympic gathering for the relay girls in Larvik. A couple of hours earlier, news was also present at a training session. There, Henriette Jæger was beaten by Amalie Iuel in at least two seemingly disrespectful exercises – something that revealed how little she likes to be beaten. We shall return to that. Now she sits and talks about how trainer’s mother Unn Merete uses her daughter’s strong dissatisfaction with losing in her training. That is what Jæger is unsure if he is suitable for TV, or for that matter; Online. SUPERTEAM: But mother Unn Merete as coach, Henriette Jæger has stepped up to the world elite. Photo: Lise Åserud / NTB Have to buy ice cream Nevertheless, tell ho. – If she is taking part in training, she can say that “if you don’t beat me by five metres, then you have to treat me to ice”, says Jæger. Unn Merete Lie Jæger explains that the rules are simple: If the daughter does not manage what she is challenged to do, the mother will be punished. If, however, she manages it, it is the mother who has to buy ice cream for her daughter. The challenges are not just about competition between the two. In some rehearsals, Amalie Iuel’s records – real, or more often perhaps imaginary – are used as benchmarks. – Then she put up a poster, “here is like Amalie’s record”, says the 21-year-old from Aremark. Her job is then to throw further than Iuel could possibly have done, if the practice is some form of throwing. Cycling with a poster of her rival on her back Henriette Jæger also tells about an idea her mother got after she was beaten by British Yemi Mary John in the 400-meter final during the U23 European Championships last year. – She took a poster with a picture of her, and taped it to the back. So when I ran hill runs, she rode in front and I ran behind. Then I would always take her back. And always have her back. THE WOMAN TO BEAT: A picture of Yemi Mary John was what Henriette Jæger got to hunt for in the interval sessions Photo: Petr David Josek / AP Unfortunately, there is no picture of the most interesting find. Jæger does not hide the fact that she occasionally shakes her head at her mother. – I get a bit angry and just like: “My God, why are we doing this?” There is an explanation for the fact that she still does what her mother suggests: it makes her do a little extra. – It reminds me that I lost to her in the U23 EC last year and that I will beat her, says Jæger. – It helps Unn Merete Lie Jæger also laughs when she talks about her methods. – It helps her to push extra. One must have creative ideas like that, she says. For the record: Yemi Mary John exited the 2023 season with a personal best of 51.04. This year she has jumped 51.23. Henriette Jæger left the 2023 season with a personal record of 51.03. This year she has jumped to 49.85. The Yemi Mary John poster is out of date. Bigger names must be collected until the autumn. – Really angry Absolutely all forms of competition trigger Henriette Jæger. In the morning training before the interview, she was challenged by Amalie Iuel to a duel about who could stand on their hands the longest. – Is she still standing? said Jæger after five seconds. Ten seconds later she had to put her feet on the floor herself, while Iuel was still standing on his hands. – Now I was really upset that I lost to Amalie, she admitted a few minutes later. In the interview a couple of hours later, it is still there. – Losing against Amalie, it was really sad. So I will persuade her to take a rematch, says Jæger. – Why is it so bad to lose? – The loss means that one is the worst, then. It’s a bit of a question of who you lose against. Losing to Amalie is perhaps one of the worst, because she is a very good winner, and also a bad loser like me. The worse a loser is, the more fun it is to win. – Means it means something Amalie Iuel describes Jæger’s competitive instinct as “enormous”. – And it’s fun, because I really recognize myself in it. It doesn’t matter if it’s the Olympic final, or if it’s throwing socks the farthest way in a gymnasium in Larvik. It’s full of boos anyway and you want to win, says Iuel, who also got a win over Jæger in the sock throw that day. – What do you think it means for her to lose those duels? – I think she hates losing as much as I like winning. And then it’s extra fun to compete against such people. At least in slightly insignificant things like throwing socks the longest or standing on your hands, where you might be able to rub it in a little. It’s a lot of fun, says Iuel. Fun for whoever wins. Less fun for those who hate losing, but do it anyway. – Being a bad loser is actually quite good, because then it means that it means something, and then you want to sharpen up and get better, says Henriette Jæger. With solid Norwegian records at 200, 300 and 400 meters this season, it is uncontroversial to state that she has improved. Published 22.07.2024, at 21.17 Updated 22.07.2024, at 22.03
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“My God, why are we doing this?” – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcast schedule
