Namita Nayyar:
You won a Gold Medal in the 2021 European Indoor Championships at Toruń, Poland in the 60 m event in 7.03 second? Tell us more about this exceptional achievement of yours?
Ajla Del Ponte:
The year 2021 has been an extremely good year for me. And the starting point of it has been my victory in Torun. Coming in Poland I knew I had a shot at medals, but I wanted the shiny golden one. People were expecting things from me and for the first time I was confronted with this new position, where you have a new type of pressure on you. Getting the title, running a national record and the world lead over the distance in the same race has made a big impact on me. After Toruń I found in me a very new motivation going into summer and leading to the Olympics. I knew I was capable of running sub 11 and in my diary I wrote down “I can run 10.90”.
Namita Nayyar:
At the 2020 Summer Olympics you set a new national record for the 100 meters running 10.91 in the heats. On 14 August 2021 you shaved a hundredth of a second off of your record, achieving a time of 10.90 at the 2021 Resisprint International. What is your opinion are the traits in an athlete to be consistently successful as a world-class sprinter?
Ajla Del Ponte:
Consistency is very difficult to find. The 100m is extremely technical and one mistake could potentially be the end of your race. It’s just too short to leave any room to mistakes. Keeping that in mind, as an athlete we must be ready when we are at the starting line: being healthy in body and mind is crucial for a successful career. What was inspiring for me in women sprint this year is that the general performance level was insane. We’ve seen some very fast races and that is giving everyone some extra motivation to do better, be faster.
Namita Nayyar:
What exercises comprise your fitness regime or workout routine you may wish to share?
Ajla Del Ponte:
I enjoy our strength training a lot. We have a specific strength workout during winter that is perfect for glutes and hamstrings (sprinters need to have strong ones). In this circuit we have single leg squats. All you need is a bench, you hold a weight close to your chest (I usually use a dumbbell> 10kg), you keep one leg away from the ground and you go sit down slowly and up again. Do this 3-5 sets of 15 reps for each leg and combine it with other exercises. Maybe you’ll hate me at first, but I promise it’s worth it.
Namita Nayyar:
Tell us your training schedule to boost one’s immunity and practice for sprint races in such pandemic times?
Ajla Del Ponte:
The past year and a half we could really understand how primordial health is. At the core of it we have a balanced diet, but we also need to move our body. A strong body is a happy body, I really encourage everyone to go out, have a hike or a run. Gyms are also great. Also, the hormones such as dopamine and serotonin that are released after the physical effort make us happy: a happy body is a healthier body. As for my happy body, I am the happiest after a sprint endurance practice, for example 3x3x60m with 2’ rest (10’ between sets).
Disclaimer
The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
