INTERVIEW - «I would have trouble accepting the Ferrari» – the new wrestling champion Armon Orlik is a cycling fan

Armon Orlik, your main sponsor is a sunshade manufacturer. And its boss once announced that the first of his sponsored wrestlers to become king would receive a Ferrari. Is that luxury car already in your garage?

I would have trouble accepting it because of my conscience, as displaying status symbols doesn't align with my values. I'm more of a cyclist.

What if your sponsor gave you a bike that had been ridden in the Tour de France?

One with the signature of world champion Mathieu van der Poel on it, that would be it! (Laughs.) I think he's a spectacular athlete and a true fighter.

Where does your interest in cycling come from?

In high school, a few of our friends followed the Tour de France closely, and I occasionally go on bike rides with them. We do one tough climb per ride, like the Albula, Julier, or Flüela Passes. Three hours maximum, as I can't afford to lose too much weight or explosive power for the swinging.

They are members of the Pro Velo interest group in their hometown of Rapperswil-Jona.

Yes, as a simple member interested in the topic. During my studies at university of applied sciences, I wrote a paper on why the bicycle network in Denmark's capital, Copenhagen, works better than those in Swiss cities. Here, you only see a lot of cyclists where safety is sufficient. Improvements could be made there, especially considering that car traffic shouldn't increase too much.

Instead of the Muni Zibu, you accepted the equivalent in cash. The sum is equivalent to the price of a decent subcompact car. What do you buy with it?

At the beginning of 2024, I was strolling through town, looking at watches in the shop window, and said to myself: "Come on, if you win the Swiss Jubilee Wrestling Festival in Appenzell at the season's highlight, you'll treat yourself to a nice chronometer." But I lost the final bout to Fabian Staudenmann . Now, as king, I want to make the purchase.

What reactions to your title touched you the most?

Those of my high school colleagues who earned tickets through volunteer work so they could support me at the Federal Championships. Or those at the reception in my home village of Maienfeld, where I saw lots of people who contributed to the title, including those with whom I built our club's new wrestling hall.

The wrestling hall in Untervaz was built with voluntary labor and opened in early 2022. What was your contribution?

As a civil engineer, I helped plan and draw the designs, and analyzed the structural analysis. On the construction site, I did what was technically possible for me and permitted by insurance, such as shoveling for the concrete construction. This year, I would have had less time to help because I was subordinating everything to the federal government. I set the goal early on of becoming the wrestling champion in Mollis.

Schwingers aren't expected to practice their sport professionally. You work 50 percent of the time for an engineering firm. What does the job mean to you?

It provides balance. I work in the mornings, and train in the afternoons. I'll be back at work soon, briefly interrupted by a vacation abroad. I have to see if there's room for a wrestling festival this year; perhaps I'll compete in an indoor wrestling competition this winter.

You handle management and media relations together with your parents. Will that continue?

So far, things have gone well without a marketing agency. I like to organize these things myself. We deliberately didn't build too many people around me, and I don't have a mental coach either. The few I do surround myself with are all the more supportive. An important man is athletic coach Robin Städler, who helped me get my back problems under control with his alternative training methods. His fitness center is like a second home to me. He once helped Jörg Abderhalden win the wrestling championship.

Looking back at the Federal Championships : What did your mental training in Mollis look like?

Having already failed in important competitions at federal events, I knew where to start. The most crucial question was what I should think about during the toughest phases of a fight to push myself to my limits. My closest friends and family played a significant role in my mind. At the sawdust ring, it gave me confidence when another top performer from northeastern Switzerland was nearby, which happened because Werner Schlegel always fought before or after me. We pushed each other. I also often listened to music during the festival, especially songs with a lot of bass, accompanied by a loud, angry, or aggressive voice. Whether it was techno, rap, or Metallica.

Are friendships with other "bad guys" like Schlegel possible? You used to do athletic training together, but he moved on.

He wanted to go his own way. Unfortunately, this meant that the exchanges that made us better became less frequent. But our wonderful friendship has remained one hundred percent intact.

Abderhalden's relative, Beat Schläpfer, became an important coach, observing and profiling his opponents throughout the season. He reportedly subscribed to a pay-TV channel to watch as many wrestling competitions as possible.

That's true. Because his expertise is immense, a fellow wrestler and I each gave him a hundred francs to repay his efforts. And Abderhalden polished us.

Most of the people from northeastern Switzerland slept at the Kerenzerberg sports center during the Federal Games, but you isolated yourself and stayed with a Glarus family. Why?

At other federal championships, I've had the experience of sleeping badly on Sunday nights because a colleague was snoring next to me or the bed wasn't up to my expectations – and then my batteries weren't fully charged when it came to the real thing. So this time I wanted to be on my own. Actually, the Glarus wrestler Roger Rychen could have benefited from this apartment, but he gave it to me, which shows what a good friend he is.

Did you live with this family like you were in a shared apartment?

No, they respected my wish for peace and quiet, which made me feel very relaxed. And the family helped me dry my clothes, shoes, and pads between the two competition days, which I would need again on Sunday. It was a 15-minute ride to the competition arena by e-bike.

In 2028, the Swiss Federal Championships will take place in Thun, where your brother Curdin, who also swings, lives. Have you reserved a room with him yet?

A solution can surely be found.

If you had met in the final round in Mollis, what would that have been like?

Pretty normal, we wouldn't have given each other anything and would have been happy for each other if we lost. Our rivalry used to be stronger. Before Mollis, we had exchanged views about our first opponents, but during the festival, there was no contact. There wouldn't have been a draw in the final bout because we're both offensive wrestlers.

You were a spectator at the final bout between Werner Schlegel and Samuel Giger. What was that like?

Difficult. I wanted to win the title in the final bout and not depend on her fight. As a spectator, I estimated my chances of winning the title at 30 percent. I greatly appreciate her fair play.

Because of a tie, the judges decided who would advance to the final round. Is a new rule needed for this?

No, overregulation would be bad. We should trust people and give them room to maneuver. That's what swinging is all about.

In 2016, you lost to Matthias Glarner in the final. Did the defeat bother you?

It works. I was happy at the time and thought: I'm still young and I'll get more opportunities.

In 2017, you suffered spinal shock due to a neck injury, which paralyzed your body for a few minutes and made you think about a life in a wheelchair. What was that like?

It was a drastic event, and it knocked the rug out from under me at that moment. I value health more today. But my body recovered quickly. And when you experience hundreds of similar situations afterwards without anything happening, the problem in your mind also resolves. The herniated disc in 2019 bothered me more because it took away my joy of exercise for a while.

You said video evidence could be tested. What form would be most likely?

If we categorically reject it, we're making it too easy for ourselves. Nevertheless, we must primarily address the referees. They should position themselves differently on and in the sawdust, covering more angles. Or they should wear headsets so they can communicate better with each other.

As a long-time student, do you feel like an exotic and intellectual among the wrestlers?

Not at all, we also represent a cross-section of society in which everyone can be who they are.

Your brother Curdin publicly declared his homosexuality in 2020. You said this made you more tolerant. How should we understand this?

His coming out shouldn't have caused any waves these days. But I've become more sensitive to such questions and have questioned my thoughts and actions. We wrestlers sometimes have tunnel vision, stand there and say: "Zack, here I am, this is how it has to be, I'm the boss!" Nevertheless, one should be open to diversity.

In a TV commercial for your main sponsor, you pose shirtless by the pool. Was that difficult for you?

No, I was happy that I was given the opportunity to have the experience. It wasn't an unnatural situation; everyone's reactions were positive. It was actually funny. For the shoot, we took the train to Piedmont to an estate with a villa. The biggest challenge was that all the producers spoke Italian and wanted to explain to me how to pronounce my sponsor's German name.

Do you know the movie “Gladiator”?

One of my favorite movies, we used to watch it in mental training. It's about swinging because it's about trust, inner strength, and preparation.

Your father and a brother were in the Papal Swiss Guard in Rome, but you weren't. Because it would have prevented your wrestling career?

Also, yes, the exercise would have been neglected. But I think the guard is a cool thing.

You were allowed to attend elite sports competitions in the army and were known for bringing a blender with you to prepare your power smoothies.

Exactly, because I also want to get the best out of my diet.

You've skipped the WK for the past two winters. Why?

It has to do with the fact that I was worried about revealing too much of my strengths to my opponents.

If you could rule Switzerland for a day as the new king, what would you introduce?

I wouldn't want that at all. I'm committed to democracy; the people's decisions must be accepted. And if they decide on something stupid, they have to pay the price.