28 Mar 2011 at 08:10 | Published by: Hans | Views: 13022 | News search

Martina Danner, "Junior Girl Player of the Year 2010" training on MOS  (Photo by Wolfgand Danner 2010)

Interview with Martina Danner (MD), Austria and MSC Linz Lissfeld

This interview was done the 27th of Mars 2011. Interviewer is Hans Bergström (HB).

HB: First of all congratulations to a great season of 2010 which lead to winning the title of “Junior girls player of the Year” on Minigolfnews by winning the public vote and become second in the expert vote. Did you expect to win this vote?

MD: No, I didn’t expect that at all. I always heard of these voting's and also voted myself some times, but I never imagined to once winning the title.

HB: So, can you tell our readers who is Martina Danner?

MD: A crazy 14-year-old girl, who has too many things to do and tries to give her best in every situation of her life.

HB: In the public vote you won and in the expert vote you were second. Which of the two votes do you consider the greatest honor?

MD: Of course both votes are a great honor to me and at this point I want to say thank you to everybody who has voted for me. I am also very proud that I was second in the expert vote, because people who really know everything about minigolf voted me as second best Junior girl player of the year. That’s just impressive.

HB: Can you tell us about the Sochi YWC and what happened there with your own wording?

MD: Of course the whole weeks were very exhausting because it was so hot, but on the final day I didn’t care about the heat at all. The match play was exciting from the first stroke I did, but within a while I got less and less nervous. And I kind of enjoyed the feeling that everybody was looking at me in the final.

HB: What do you feel about the MOS concrete lanes in Sochi?

MD: I think, although they are maybe not always 100% perfect, they are fair because in one round you are lucky and in the other round the other once are. I also think, that playing on “new obstacles” challenges the players in a completely other way and I liked that very much.

HB: And what do you think about competing in Russia and Sochi?

MD: Of course it’s a big effort to go to Russia, also because it’s so far away, but I think it was a great event and it was well organized. I also liked how lovely all the parties were made, but of course I can’t compare this YWC with others, because I haven't been to other yet.

HB: Before 2010 you where not so known outside Austria. How has this international breakthrough changed your Minigolf life?

MD: For me and my playing it didn’t change much. Of course I’m not so nervous any more, but I don’t really feel different while playing. The only thing that really changed is, that know everybody knows my name and they all greet me. That’s kind of funny just if I never saw this people before.

HB: You are quite young. How was it to compete against some girls several years older in Sochi?

MD: I didn’t really care about how old all the girls where. I knew that I was among the youngest, but it was stranger when I won, because nobody expects a little girl to win against the best players in the world, who are all older than her.

HB: You have a father and mother that are also into the sport. Can you tell us about their support for what you are doing?

MD: Of course they are always supporting me and I also think that it was much easier to me to learn how to play minigolf, because I nearly grew up on a minigolf-course. I am happy, that my whole family plays this sport, even my brother does.

HB: You seem to like the KO-modus, at least you were successful in Sochi. What is your opinion about KO and the decision for WMF/EMF Championships to include both a stroke champion and a match play champion?

MD: I really like the KO-Modus, because it doesn’t matter if you loose one lane. I think it is a very good idea to have both champions, because the stroke play is completely different. I also think it’s like two different competitions, because you have to have other skills in each competition.

HB: So how do you feel about the upcoming season? How does your season planning look like for 2011?

MD: I don’t really feel different about this season than about the last or others. I just try to give my best and than time will show how much it is worth. And my planning is first of all to have as much fun as until now and some medals will be great.

HB: Will you be aiming for a place in the Austrian team in Naturns, Italy this August?

MD: Of course I try to get a place, but if others are better, I want that the best players of Austria represent our country.

HB: What happens next for you in Minigolf?

MD: I think there are some tournaments in the next few weeks and than there are of course the Austrian team masters, the Upper-Austrian-Masters and in summer the Austrian-Youth-Masters and than maybe the YEC in Naturns.

HB: Again a big congratulation to winning the expert jury part of vote for “Junior Girl player of the Year” on Minigolfnews and good luck in the future.

MD: Thank you very much and once again I have to say, what a great honor it is to me, to have the title “Junior Girl Player of the year 2010”

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