Chris McCormack on Normann Stadler's Hawaii victory and ther duel...
CM: People say, "Oh in another mile you would have caught him!" I say, "No way mate! Another mile I wouldn't have made it. That was everything I had." I crossed the line, hugged him and said, "Well done, mate." I went back to my house and my wife and I said, "I won my seconds place today. I can live with that." That was the first time I've been ecstatic with second. It took a world champion to have his best day to beat me.
At the press conference, I said, "I didn't think Normann was that good." But I meant that in a positive way as another athlete saying, "Mate, you were amazing today." And he took that the wrong way. See, I had a perfect day. And when I have perfect days, I don't lose. And still this guy beats me. That is what I was trying to say, but I was attacked for it.
On the post-race party...
CM: Just before the party after the awards ceremony, I saw an online interview where Normann said I should be ashamed of myself. [In the online interview, Stadler was quoted saying, "You know Macca drafted. He was alway in the pack. We all know he was cheating."]
The Aussie way is that you don't talk about people behind their backs-you confront them. So I went up to him in the club and said, "Normann, can I chat with you for a minute?" Normann said, "What is your problem?" I said, "Mate, you're saying some things about me. What's the go? If you got something to say, say it to my face." He said, "I never said anything." The I showed him the interview on a Blackberry. He said, "The race was yesterday." I said, "I didn't have a problem with you yesterday. You beat me, man. You were incredible. But I have a problem with you now. Look, if I'm just a useless joke, then who did you beat, mate? You just beat up on a bunch of nobodies. I've raced you my whole career. I've kicked your ass more than you've ever beaten me. Come on, man! Give me that respect."
On his Hawaii process...
CM: When I first went to Hawaii, I saw a bunch of slow donkeys. I thought, "The thoroughbreds are now coming to the big race and you guys are gonna get flogged." I thought, "Peter Reid swims 5:20 for 400. He runs 40 minutes for the 10km. He can't beat me! I'm a thoroughbred." That was my attitude. I did my first Ironman and won it. Did three halves, undefeated. Can't beat me.
On playing mind games...
CM: The mind games that happen in pro sport, they're no sappy little love story. They're real. This year, someone's going to win Ironman Hawaii and I want that to be me. Normann wants that to be him. Faris wants that to be him. Beke wants that to be him.
After a while, I had a chat with Faris. I said, "Look, man, what's the go?" He said, "I don't like the way you race. You're very tactical." And then it hits me. I said, "Faris, you've won this race. Unlike you and Normann, I've never won it. I'm going to be tactical because I want to win the friggin' thing.
I enjoy teasing Faris. The other day, we exchanged e-mails. I wrote, "I say I'm going to deliver, I deliver, mate. I said I was going for a world record [at Quelle Challenge Roth] and I came within three minutes [McCormack finished in 7:54:23]. I don't fail." He replied, "Yeah, you failed in Hawaii." I said, "So have you -- eight times, mate, and you won it once! You failed seven times." It's not mean, it's just two guys trying to get the upper hand.
From the other side...
Normann Stadler listens to all of the rhetoric, but he pefers to do his talking on race day by blowing the field apart on the bike, just like always. His tactics are as complicated as a right cross to the face. He smiles and says little. But what he does say speaks volumes:
"Stadler TWO," he says softly.
"McCormack ZERO."
My prediction? Chris "Macca" McCormack will cross the line first. It's going to be fun watching them battle it out on Queen K and then along Alii Drive.
1 comment:
Keep 'em coming!
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