High-end athletes losing control of their careers is not rare by any means. David Hauss had an incredible 4th place finish at the London Games. We were well aware that his showing in London was not going to be his last great performance on the world stage, but then again, that’s easier said than done. After nearly 2 years of trial and error, David confirmed his return at the upper echelon of triathlon with a 4th place finish at Rio’s Test Event. We’ve recently discussed the latest highlight of his career..
I imagine that this is somewhat of a relief for you. Things have seem to really fall into place for you in the last 4 weeks (bundesliga, FGP, European titles both individual and relays). These success’ didn’t come without hardship. This 4th place must mean even more to you.
Absolutely. I’ve been through hard times lately. In the month of May, I was quite far from even thinking I’d participate in the Test Event. Obviously, coming out of it in a favorable position to qualify for the Games next year is sitting quite well with me. That was the objective for my season. I’ve had great support from my entourage.
You had to dig deep for this result since you had a 2 min deficit on the leaders heading into T2. Emotions must have been running high throughout the race?
I definitely had to dig deep. Mentally, I was on top of it the whole time. For sure I wasn’t in good position coming out of the saddle and T2 issues didn’t help my case. However, that allowed me to go at my own pace, concentrating on the execution of my run. Slowly but surely, I was back into the race and was able to overtake 5 guys in the last 500m. I couldn’t have hoped for a better outcome.
It wasn’t so thoughtful on your part to put your wife and father through this nerve-racking experience.
They know me well and are quite aware that my races can be out of the ordinary…
Can you tell us about your actual entourage? You’re coached by both your father Joel Hauss and your friend Laurent Vidal. How is that working out?
All three of us have been working together since Mooloolaba last March. I was coming off of a DQ in Abou Dhabi and the moral wasn’t at its highest. Laurent was around and just touching base with him seemed to give me wings and I went on to win that race. We’ve know each other since we were little kids having raced together in the 14-15 AG. Our philosophies have always seemed to match. Functionally speaking, Laurent creates the training program and goes over it with Joel. My dad takes care of all the physical and muscular preparation.
You’re now a father. That must have brought on a lot of changes for you in this new Olympic cycle?
My vision of sport and triathlon as a whole has changed since the birth of my son. It’s been nothing but positive. It brings additional meaning and a new sense to my training, my history and the path I’ve taken. I was very close to retirement not long ago. So now, what I’m doing and everything I accomplish, I’m doing it for myself in total happiness. It gives me the feeling that I have nothing to lose and that everything that gets sent my way is just a bonus. Its with that frame of mind that I was able to meet the federal criteria in Rio.
Tell us about Rio. How did you find the race course?
It’s a course made for complete athletes, and that’s undeniable. The ocean swim can have lots of waves and currents. You can’t sit back in someone’s draft waiting for the swim to end because the positioning is constantly changing. The bike is characterized by the heat and it’s climb. Although a short climb, it’s hard on the athletes and can cause breaks in the pack which leads everyone to attack it every time. And the run with its 4 straight away laps doesn’t allow for any let back. It’s go go go the whole time and you need both the engine and training volume to take it to the end.
Does the climate play an important role in your opinion?
Personally, I didn’t find it too hot. It was cooler than Geneva even. But for those who aren’t used to the heat, it becomes an important factor to manage before and during the race.
During the swim, you got trapped and so lost your opportunity to ride with the lead pack. Can you describe what happened? The course seems particular with the first buoy at 500m and an out and back 500m loop.
I had a good start with a lot of good swimmers on my left, but at the first buoy, we were down to 10 guys all jostling for position, not really moving forwards. That’s where we lost contact with the leaders. The waves made it hard to have any perspective when it came to judging gaps and it made it all the more difficult to manage the swim.
And the bike? How did that go?
The pack got together early and the gap quickly reached 30 seconds. We were too many to maintain a steady pace. We would climb up the hill quite fast every time, but the intensity on the descent wasn’t quite the same. This really played well for the leading pack who could take advantage of the erratic pacing of our group. They ended up with a lead of close to 1:45.
You felt good on the run from the very start? We’re under the impression that your improbable comeback all came together on the last lap.
I ended up in both chutes in T2 with Justus and a Mexican athlete and that brought me back to somewhere between the 40th and 50th position off the bike. The chase group was already some ways ahead, nearly 10 seconds. And so I decided to go at my own pace without worrying of others or qualifying for the Games. At that point, my eventual 4th place finish didn’t seem possible. I remained focused on my run and progressively brought myself back into the race. 20th after the first lap, 14th at the mid way point and 10th to start the last lap.
At this point I believed in my chances to reach the top 6 and I capitalized on in by attacking on the last 500m and over taking the two Polyanski’s, Mola, Brownlee and Royle. I gave it everything I had while holding on to the dream of Games qualification. Looking back at it now, I must admit that I didn’t take the easy road to get there.
This 4th place doesn’t guarantee your qualification for the Games. Chicago will be an other important event on the calendar because the criteria can also be filled during that race. Does that mean that you’ll have to defend your spot in the Grand Finale?
Vincent Luis is the only one to have met the first criteria. So I’ll have to wait for the Grand Finale to secure my bib in this calendar year. I’ll be there and I plan to be a factor in the race. I’m very happy in my situation. This result in Rio will stay with me no matter what. It will bring me lots of confidence going forward.
Your result in Rio is top-end, worthy of the greats in the sport. That said, we have the feeling that you could be aiming even higher.
I’ve come a long way in a short amount of time. Not long ago, I was wondering what I was even doing here. My season was definitely geared towards Rio and I progressed rapidly through June and July. I know how to get ready for a one day race, and I’m able to step up to the plate when the time comes. I had no doubt that I was capable of qualifying for the Games this year. Next year will be different because only the top 3 places will be important. I have one year left to put in the work. I’m enjoying the moment today and I will be ready next year.
Do you think that the Games could bring on a different race dynamic?
For sure it’ll be different. There’ll be at least 20 fewer athletes and many of the athletes will be happy just to be there representing their country. So there’s going to be more space for contenders to work with and possibly even more little groups. One thing for sure though is that the strongest will be the main players in that race and will not make it easy on the others. Getting in the top 10 this weekend demanded strength and experience.
What’s next?
Next is a return at the Reunion to participate in the Indian Ocean Islands Games on Thursday night (5000m track). I’ll rest a bit with my family afterwards and then aim for the Embrun GP and WTS Stockholm. Then we’ll have time for one more small block to get ready for the finale in Chicago and finish off the season with the Nice GP.
There you go! Gotta fly!