In athletics:

“We want to establish a team spirit like in the USA”

Beate and Christian Taylor(Bild: APA/GEORG HOCHMUTH / APA / picturedesk.com)

Increased youth work, training with international experts and better exchange between domestic coaches and officials. These are the goals with which Beate and Christian Taylor are starting their work as performance sport coordinators for the Austrian Athletics Federation. "We want to establish a team spirit like in the USA," says the two-time Olympic triple jump champion.

Beate Taylor, formerly Schrott, didn't have to do any convincing. Like her, her husband Christian was immediately on fire with the idea of moving the center of his life from Florida to Vienna to work for the Austrian Athletics Association (ÖLV). "It's a dream," he smiles. "Beate and I already share our lives, and now the job too. I never thought that would be possible." The fact that Donald Trump won the presidential election made the decision even easier...

The 2012 Olympic hurdles finalist has officially been in office since January 1st, while her husband Christian officially starts his job next week. The duo are convinced that they can build on the excellent work of Gregor Högler. "We want to continue to build on his expertise," said Beate Taylor. This should be possible, as Högler will be working closely with the athletes as a member of the board of Leistungssport Austria.

Infrastructure already top
Christian Taylor is particularly impressed with the infrastructure. "The equipment Gregor has provided, including in the medical area, is absolutely top class," says the US superstar. In comparison, he sees potential for improvement in communication and cooperation. "There are a lot of experts in Austria, but they don't exchange enough information with each other. We want to establish a real team spirit, like we have in the USA."

Christian Taylor has won the Olympics twice.(Bild: EPA)

His wife Beate agrees with him. "There are many coaches who have a lot of knowledge, but you also have to pass it on to the next generation. We also want to develop many young coaches."

Leveraging 12- to 13-year-olds
The keyword "young" immediately touches on another of the couple's heartfelt concerns: working with young talent. The goal for the next Olympic cycle is to achieve top placings for adults as well as 16 top 8 results at international junior championships. "We have to start with the twelve to thirteen-year-olds," admits Christian Taylor. 

The 34-year-old, who has two Olympic victories and four world championship titles to his name in the triple jump, will also be active in the ÖLV as a coach in the triple and long jump. "You can quickly make a difference in the long jump," Taylor believes. "There are some who can jump around 7.50. That's 50 cm to 8 meters, which makes you internationally competitive. That is achievable."

Ivona Dadic, for whom the long jump also plays a role as a multi-discipline athlete, is very impressed by the new duo and has already trained with Christian. "I've known him for a long time, I've trained with him before, so I know that I can benefit a lot from that," said the 2016 European Championship bronze medallist. "He's someone who likes to pass on his knowledge and is excellent at it. He addresses everything, but also demands a lot."

Hurdles sprinter Enzo Diessl also joins in the praise. "Above all, Beate and Christian are great people. I think it's great that there are now two contact persons who have both experienced so much."

Puma as outfitter
Puma is also new as the ÖLV's outfitter. "We've been in talks since 2022 and now the time has come," announced President Sonja Spendelhofer. There was something special for Dadic. "I've wanted a one-piece racing suit for sprinting for years, I can hardly wait to run in it."