CELJE (SLOVENIA): From July 17th to 24th, 2022, the Austrian women’s national team again successfully took part in the Fire Brigade Olympiad of the CTIF (International Fire Brigade Association) in Celje, Slovenia.

The preparations in the last two years since the last World Cup in Saratov could not have been more challenging. COVID-19, the uncertainty of the effects of this disease, few training opportunities in the lockdowns and the loss of two years of competition promoted the cohesion and strong nerves of the women’s sports competition group even more.

“The athletes are improving not only mentally but also physically and have reached a better level for this year’s Olympics,” says Katrin Fischer – leader of the team – who is convinced of the TOP performance.

Despite the fact that fire brigade sport is not as popular in Austria as in other nations and requires a lot of self-motivation and personal commitment, the girls trained with full commitment and always had the goal of doing their best for Austria at the next Olympics. The balance sheet of this Olympics “3 times Austrian record” speaks for itself.

Wet extinguishing attack: conclusion of the Olympics with 3rd Austrian record

The fourth and final competition at this Olympiad was not for the faint of heart. In the only two training sessions before the Olympics, the new portable fire pump (TS for short) showed that sensitivity is required here. On site in the stadium, the heat was oppressive (>36°C) and the tension could be clearly felt. Just in the run-up to the Austrians’ first run, their assembly on the platform had to be interrupted because the TS had to be cooled completely unexpectedly.

In this phase, i.e. shortly before the start, it is necessary to maintain tension and concentration. When the portable pump was ready for use again, the women’s sports competition group was set up, went to the start and completed a faultless and valid run. The running time of 37 seconds was still well below their expectations and training performance. The team benefited from the experience, relaxation and excellent team spirit of the last few days.

They immediately focused on the preparations for the second run and their confidence was clearer. Even the mascot jumping around in the starting area couldn’t distract them anymore. With a flawless run of 30.14 seconds, a new Austrian record and 6th place, they more than successfully completed this Olympiad in their parade discipline.

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