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Moment of the Year by Emanuel Reinke

The nightmare of Matthias Steiner came suddenly without any warning. In September in the training camp organized for the best German and French athletes in the French town of Vittel the superheavy gold medallist of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing had to stop training due his injury on his left knee, that forced him to walk on crutches. No training, no competitions, no weightlifting – for months.

„After the surgery my pain was during the first two nights“, said Steiner to the Sport-Informations-Dienst (SID), by having missed the German championship and the World Championship as well. A terrifying fact for the sportsman, who trained the whole year with just the tournament of Paris on his mind. „I really wanted to become World Champion in November“, said the 2010 Clean and Jerk champion, who won’t make the European Championship in Antalya in April also: „I’m not going to be fit and competitive enough”, he said to a German TV station.

Steiner’s goal for the New Year is different. „The Olympics in London are very realistic. And I am absolutely focusing on it“, said the 29-year old Steiner, who became world famous for one of the most emotional moments in Beijing 2008, when he presented a photography of his deceased wife at the award ceremony.

Today Steiner is married again with the former German tv-host Inge Posmyk, and his little son who was born in 2010. Besides the pain, the surgery and the sleepless nights, there is something good for the Austrian born Steiner, who got the German citizenship in the beginning of 2008. Now he finally has a lot of time to spend with his family. „I really enjoy it. The little boy always climbs on me. And if he comes too close to my leg, I just say ‘Daddy oouch’, and he starts to fondle my leg“, said Steiner.

Emanuel Reinke, Sport-Informations-Dienst

Send your Most Memorable Moment of 2011 to Dezso Dobor, IWF Media Officer (dezso.dobor@nulliwfnet.net) or the IWF Secretariat in order to be published!