Source : Christopher Linke, German Olympic race walker.
Sad days: The mavericks of Olympic sports.
STANDING UP FOR HIS SPORT
Says his sport is misunderstood and he has long spoken of his desire to have it as part of the main programme at the German athletics championships instead of in a different venue. Wants to see the sport given a proper platform in order to attract new participants. "We need young people to develop our discipline. This stage is taken from us. We bring world-class performances year after year, but we do not participate at the German championships. When people ask what I do and I say I am a race walker, people smile or laugh out loud. The way we perform our sport seems strange. But it is actually an endurance sport that is extremely exhausting and needs a lot of will power. There is nothing funny about it." (myInfo)
TATTOO
He has a tattoo of the Martin Luther King Jr quote 'I have a dream' on his right arm.