5 Olympics –Five Different

Situations

Aleksander Tammert

Aleksander TammertTrained under the guidance of Aleksander Tammert sen ja Dave Wollman.Atlanta 1996 25th placeSydney 2000 9th placeAthens 2004 III placeBeijing 2008 12th placeLondon 2012 27th place. Carried the Estonian flag during the opening ceremony2006 - Gothenburg EC III placePart of the Estonian national team since 1993. Estonian champion in shot put, weight-lifting and power-lifting.Organizer of an international discus throw and shot put competition. Since 2010 head of the Estonian Sports Association Kalev. Married to a former javelin thrower Elizabeta Tammert.Father of Alissa (10) and Izabela (5).

2.02.1973 Discus thrower

and coachPersonal best

70.82

1973-1994. Training under

the guidance of my father • Diverse preparation without forcing things too much. • A time of financial difficulties. There were no subsidies back

then. • 1993 – for the first time the Estonian champion in discus

throw.

1994-1998. Student in a US University

• A student athlete under the guidance of coach Dave Wollmann.

• No real financial problems because free studying, living and food were guaranteed.

• I was equally motivated to learn a profession and to train. Student life was good and fun. Dave Wollman

smu.edu

1999-2000. Becoming a professional

• I made my own training plans and consulted with Dave Wollmann and father.

• Attracting sponsors, commitment. A strong growth of motivation.

• From January 2000 trainings with Alekna.

2001-2004. Successful Olympic Cycle

• Years of gathering and analysing information about myself and making my own plans.

• Improving my weak spots.

• Technical support from Wollmann, improving technique.

• Marriage, a child, family life.

• Father was the manager of the team.

Ateena OG III

EOK

sport.err

2005-2008. Ongoing self-improvement, raising professionalism

• Maturing. • The best season of my life

was the season of 2006.

Gothenburg EC III

Beijing OG 12.

• Improving technique, developing speed.

2009-2012. Amateur sports

• Minimal training subsidies. • Just keeping myself going.

Physical Pointers Through the Years

Year AgeWeigh

tProgression SB Clean Snacth Squats

Bench Press

Standing long jump

Forward

(5kg)

1994 21112 kg

56 m   135 115 190 135 3.12m 18.00

1995 22118 kg

60.24 58.64 145 120 200 160    

OG 1996

23122 kg

64.80 59.04 155 125 200 170 3.17m 19.50

1998 25120 kg

65.35 57.62 155 120 200 180    

OG 2000

27124 kg

67.4163.25

(63.52)170 125 220 195 3.20m 20.70

2001 28129 kg

67.10 65.19 165 125 190 200 - 21.05

2002 29127 kg

67.75 64.55(65.10) 170 130 220 195 3.25m 21.80

OG 2004

31124 kg

68.4866.66 (65.70)

165 125 220 190 3.28m 21.65

2006 33116 kg

70.8266.14

(64.50)165 125 200 180 3.32m 21.50

OG 2008

35118 kg

65.7161.32

(63.10)155 115 210 185 3.15m 20.45

2010 37121 kg

62.75 60.07 145 110 210 165 - 19.60

OG 2012

39123 kg

66.58 60.20 150 110 220 150 3.10m 20.10

Father-son or coach-athlete relationship

… it is constantly changing and developing. •Until 1994 my father was the mastermind behind all the training activities. •I followed his instructions for the first two years in the USA – he prioritized making headway in technique because his view was that strength can always be developed later. •In 1998, after graduating from university I was mature enough to create a frame for training plans myself. My father became more of a manager but in the summer in Estonia he accompanied my trainings as an advisor..

Father-son or coach-athlete relationship

• I think that a good coach/parent must sense his role in the team and shouldn’t force his will on the athlete.

• It is good for the athlete when that role is made clear and accepted by the whole team.

• I see having my father as coach as a purely positive thing. I wouldn’t have wanted an authoritarian coach like they used to have in the USSR.

sport.err

• 1973-1994 were financially difficult years. Stomach was full, but we didn’t have any instruments or equipment.

• Conditions became ideal-like after moving to the USA. Equipment, instruments and catering were 100% guaranteed. Bodyweight increased due to fixed eating habits and a daily routine from 112kg to 122 kg. In 1999 our team welcomed ESS and Sõõrumaa as our sponsors.

• For the first time we had means to train in the Republic of South Africa and elsewhere. This opportunity paved the road for organizing camps with Alekna. Results improved, I could reinvest prize money into my training program. In 2004 I could for the first time hire a physiotherapist. A new step towards professionalism! Mostly thanks to this I was able to make another leap forward.

• Financial problems reoccured at the end of 2008. Because of that I am mainly and amateur athlete. Even small amounts of money have to be effectively used.

Financial issues

Rivals.Jason Tunks (CAN)

• The biggest and most exciting rival during college years. We were two completely different persons with completely different characteristics but we had always very similar results (school work, strength, technique, flexibility, etc.)

Born: 7.05.1975Personal best: 67.88

Atlanta 1996 33rd placeSidney 2000 6th placeAthens 2004 15th place

athletics.ca

Rivals.Virgilijus Alekna (LTU)

• The world’s best discus thrower. As training partners we had a unique relationship.

• Already in 2000 I managed to beat him several times. Later he became almost undefeatable.

• Learning from him (work ethics, technique, strength training).

Born 5.02.1972Personal best: 63.88

Atlanta 1996 5th placeSidney 2000 I placeAthens 2004 I place

Rivals.Gerd Kanter (EST)

• From being a local rival to the top of the world. At first, I didn’t see his ability to go very far but he managed to improve his weaks spots significantly.

• From 2002 to 2006 we competed hard against each other.

Born 6.05.1979Personal best: 73.38

Athens 2004 19th placeBeijing 2008 I placeLondon 2012 III place

Mental preparedness• Technical

preparedness,• health, • physical form, • throwing conditions.

Staying motivated through the years

• The skill to motivate yourself vs. being motivated by others.

How to avoid running upon rocks or injury-free sports

• A bit less is better than over the limit (Aleksander Tammert sen).

• Avoid potentially dangerous exercises (Dave Wollmann). • Feel your body (Aleksander Tammert jun).

• General preparation – strengthen all the links of the chain!

• Technical preparation – you always have to keep improving your technique because when you become physically more capable, you can add more difficult technical nuances.

Thank you!

Longlasting, successful and injuries-free career for all of

you!