Sport Centre 30-01-2007
Author: Sándor Árvay, Source: deol.hu

Vote for the Sportsman of the Year had a prize-winner from Debrecen

It has not happened since time immemorial that Debrecen delegated anyone to the vote for the bests of the country, which was arranged at the end of the year. Now Attila Zsivoczky could have been there among the celebrated stars.

The decathlete winning silver medal in the continent championships was the second behind the swimmer class, László Cseh and getting advantage over the wrestler Tamás Lőrincz. From people participating in the vote twelve put him to the first place, sixty-three to the second place and forty-six of them voted him to the third place.

- Whereas vote is a kind of play I really feel that it is a great compliment if you can get into the best ones in such front runners – remembered the decathlete, who will be 30 years old this year, to the prize-giving gala in Budapest. – The hall was full of classes who are determined personalities in their own sports and competitors who won gold medal in European Championships fell behind the prize-winners, for example neither the pentathlonist Gábor Balogh, nor Zsuzsa Vörös received enough vote for getting onto the podium. Thus my second place is a great compliment personally, in addition to it. I think that this award can give a great push to the Hungarian athletics as well and after a lot of scandals finally work and performance reached on the courses will get into the focus.

One of the world class of decathlete, which is the strongest athletics section demanding both physical and technical training has been the competitor of Debrecen Sport Centre for five years.

- Attila Zsivoczky: When I contracted here from the UTE in 2001, better training, competition and financial possibilities attracted me to the club of Nagyerdő and I made a rational, so-called business decision. During half a decade situation changed a lot. Today trust and mutual appreciation are also part of the relationship. I am attached to the city emotionally as well, in spite of the fact that I live in Budapest and because of the lot of training camps and competitions abroad I spend little time at home. I can work together very well with the trainer, Attila Vona, I like the club, I have friends in the city and I feel a little bit as if I were an inhabitant of Debrecen. This is why I may consider the award for the competitor of Hajdú-Bihar worthier  than the national award as I surpassed as a somewhat outside person, genuine people of Debrecen who did a lot for the honour and appreciation of Loki or other clubs. I would like to be the best person of Debrecen again the next two years….

We can go on thinking the unfinished sentence: after the Olympic eighth place in Sydney and the sixth place in Athens, the world championships athletics bronze medalist of Debrecen hopes to return from Peking with an Olympic medal.

1. We still have more than one and a half year till the Olympic Games but the competitions of indoor season are here…
2. This time they will be without me. It has several reasons, one of them is my Achilles operation of the autumn and the other is the adaptation to the further plans.
3. Let’s see the reasons! As I know You have already had an operation of tendon of Achilles. Have your injuries come back?
4. We can say that the Achilles heel of my body … Harder tracks use muscles and tendons very much and it certainly adds to it. Burdening is enormous and if there is not enough time for regeneration, inflammation can leave lasting marks. Such substances settle on the tendon, which cause permanent aches afterwards. It’s true that in 2003 my tendon of Achilles on both of my legs were operated. Last year I felt again the symptoms and as I knew that recovery is long, it may as well be 8 months, I thought that for the Olympic success I should have it operated now because the last 1- 1 ½ year training for Peking will be undisturbed. I consulted with dr. Árpád Illyés, the doctor of the association and we decided to operate it. Now I am doing almost full value training.
5. Are the Olympic Games in the focus of all of the decision? Has the competition of August 2008 determined all your plans right now?

• The date is not so far, we have left only a little more than one and a half year….. The programe has to be planned consciously. Decathlon means a lot of training and few competitions, we do not prove daily such as the tennis players. We have three-five competitions a year, these are the events when we have to do our utmost.
• Has the schedule of this year been ready? How do you select from the locations and possibilities? According to which aspects do you decide? And who makes the decisions – you or your trainers?
• This is a team work and we put our heads together. I am not in a difficult situation as one of my trainers is my father who generally follows throwing as he is a hammer-thrower Olympic champion, while Attila Vona gives me advice in jumping and running is a common subject. 
• So what is about your programe of year 2007?
• What is sure is the traditional Austrian super competition, which is not considered to be an official world championship, at the end of May in Götzis. I first line up for the start here. It is still not sure which will be the next competition of the summer – a Czech or a German decathlon competition. Then the European Cups come and afterwards the world championships of Osaka. I will probably not participate in the French competition in autumn because right after the WCh I will take out my one-month-long holiday in order that I can begin hard work and long training after all. This time next year I will take part in the competitions of the indoor season and at that time I do everything for Peking. 
• Will the world championship of Osaka be only a medium step for the WCh bronze medalist? Does not it motivate you that last time in Helsinki you made a historical event by winning for the Hungarian athletics the ninth world championship podium place and it could be the tenth….?
• Certainly I think of it and of course I will do my best to it. But besides it the Olympic Games is the main aim and I will do everything for it. In Osaka the aim is to finish in the first 1-8, but preferably in the first 1-6 places. But now, for me it is important that I can keep to my further plans. And for it I have to focus on my technical development this year and I want to improve long-, and pole-jumping. I would like to have over 1800 points from these two events this year.    
• The world record of Roman Sebrle is 9026 points; Attila Zsivoczky is at 8554 points. This individual record has been more than six years old. Is there a chance to improve it?
• In case of outdoor sports there are many facts which can influence the points of a competition as in rain and wind it is harder both to run and to throw than in sunshine. We pay attention to the points but actually we always have to fight with the rivals, we have to leave them behind us. And we have to be able to triumph over ourselves not only from physical, but mental aspects as well. After a day which was not very successful there is no time for mental struggles, we have to do ten tests during the two days and we can manage to do it if we are able to be successful in our mind as well, to concentrate on the throws and jumps. And after that there is the killing finish, the 400 m running closing the first day and the 1500 m of the second day, which is the end of the competition. In these tests I have to compete not only with time but have to calculate how I can increase or keep my point advantage against my competitors or how I can outrun the others before me. It is a sport like this and it is its beauty that it demands such an effort. This is why every competitor finishing the competition congratulates to each other after the last test, the 1500 m.
• It is not widespread in sport that two world classes have training camp together. In spite of it, you could work together with the king of decathlon, the Olympic champion Czech Sebrle last year.
• After the indoor continent championship of 2005 I asked him if he needed a training partner. He welcomed me and we planned that we practise together this year too.
• How will a person become a decathlete?
• It is sure that you do not born to it. In our family it was evident to begin a sport, my brother plays football, I began to swim and then I stayed in the athletics. I performed well in several events, I did fairly good in high-jumping but in 1996 I had to decide in which event I train for the youth world championships and finally I decided for decathlon. It seemed I had more chance for the outstanding success. Then gold medal gave a push to continue it.
• What physique is needed for this multifold sport?
• It is different; there is no typical physique of it. It would be impossible to have a typical physique because a shot-putter physique would lose among us in jumping and running and representatives of other sports would not be successful in this combinated sport. Running speed and good technical preparedness are important. There are ten events and it is a long time to study everything on the appropriate level but physical preparedness is at least as important as technical. Strength, endurance, adaptation ability to physical and technical tasks, calmness, concentration, and a lot of other things are necessary for it.  
• Can an athlete be a full-time competitor even if he is a bronze medalist world champion in the time of financial impossibility of the Hungarian sport?
• Yes, this is my work. I am a professional sportsman. It is not possible to have good results in any other way. You train for a good competition in all of your life, but direct training begins in the last one – one and a half year before the world competition. It can be survived that you relax in a good time and you try to get out of the monotony of the trainings. It is as important as the training itself. I am in a lucky situation; I get everything I need as an athlete of Debrecen. If I said, I would need a two-month practice in Hawaii for the further development, it would be possible. In these days in Hungary there is no better association in this sport.
• Did it attract you to Debrecen in the past?
• When I contracted with Debrecen Sport Centre in 2001, it was true that money was the decisive aspect in order that I could execute my professional plans and ideas. But the situation changed a lot in 5 years as the mutual trust strengthened the emotions. I feel well in the club and I feel that they do not regard me only as a point-maker athlete but a person, a colleague and a friend of whom they can be proud. And I am proud of my fellows and my association too.
• Can a professional athlete make both ends meet nowadays?
• On this level, yes. The fix salary from the club, the leading sportsman’s benefits of the Hungarian Olympic Committee and Wesselényi Fund, the supports of the sponsors and the foreigner competition prizes give such conditions that I can live well, I do not have to see how to pay my electricity bill at the end of the month.
• Are preparing for your withdrawal?
• I may as well be proper to think of it but I still concentrate on the Olympic Games. Otherwise decathlon is a sport where age can be an advantage as in our section we have seven technical events, all of them have to be ’learnt’ which means that to the end of your 20’s you become a stable competitor. Now I plan my life till Peking, I still do not know if I will have motivation afterwards. But it is sure that I would like to stay near athletics to utilize my marketing studies, English knowledge, competitor experience and my relationships.       
• Will the sport career finish with Olympic medal?
• I would like to get to my top in Peking, it would be good to stand on the podium as high as possible.