Krisztián Berki, the 2012 Olympic champion on pommel horse, had to miss the Rio Olympics due to an injury. He hoped to have a chance to repeat the victory at the Tokyo Olympics but another injury is likely to rule the qualification out. Berki says that his health is his main focus at the moment and he’ll think about what’s next when he heals. He gave an interview to Erika Kovács of Nemzeti Sport shortly after the injury.
Q: In the beginning of the week we arranged a meeting during your practice, one day before travelling to the Worlds. We did not plan on this topic. And this mood…
A: Well, we’re by the apparatus. It’s just I’m by the apparatus and not on it.
Q: What happened?
A: Last Thursday, I got an injection and in the next days, there was no pain in my shoulder. On Monday afternoon, it dislocated somewhat but got back to normal. No pain. On Tuesday, I did not train, because my grandmother passed away and I was at the funeral. On Wednesday, we had two great practices, and my coach, István Kovács, and I were both elated. Thursday morning, I’d barely started my warmup, doing windmills, when I heard a pop and then a crack. I tried to shake the pain off for five minutes, to no avail. I could only raise my hand up at a degree wider than 45 with real pain. I don’t even remember the time I felt such awful pain.
Q: Did you immediately know that there was a huge problem?
A: I just felt this was something different now. Earlier, I often felt pain in my outer shoulder, but then when I started to shake it off, my shoulder did a pop and it was ready to go again. But now, the pain did not pass and the mobility was highly reduced. And that was the time I called my coach, saying there might be something very wrong.
Q: He’s been worried about you for some time…
A: He immediately said: stop training, don’t put any workload on the shoulder. We called the doctor, the physio, both told me to stop. I went to an MRI scan, and though the expert said it’s not completely clear whether a little part tore away from my shoulder, it cannot be excluded. My cartilage surface in my shoulder is totally worn away, so the next thing to wear away is the bone itself. So it’s logical that a little bit might have been torn away.
Q: What did the doctor advise?
A: He said that there are two options. One is to have minor surgery that evening, to try to get out the fragment. But this looked way too risky. If he doesn’t finish in 15 minutes, my shoulder is going through an even bigger trauma, and then the hope is lost. And not even successful surgery could guarantee my participation at the Worlds.
Q: What was the other option?
A: Leave the Worlds in Stuttgart alone and go through a major surgery later that might be able to alleviate the pain.
Q: I guess you immediately called your coach.
A: He’s my second father, of course I did. He told me to withdraw from Worlds. He’s been saying this for quite a while, but this was the time when I realised: it has to be this way. I know he’s been worrying because he does not want me to end up permanently injured by the sport, and this is not a game anymore. If I’ve had normal preparation with about 200 routines, I’d have said OK, let’s risk it, do the minor surgery – and maybe I can find some reserves during the qualification left in me. But I had no reserves… However much we would’ve wanted to have normal preparation, either my shoulder was tired, or there was pain, so I could not put the beginning and the end of the routine together.
Q: Are you disappointed? Angry? Sad?
A: I don’t know… This is such a difficult situation, but the last two years were all really difficult because of problems that had nothing to do with me. I’ve always tried to make the best decisions, asked for external help, tried to go through the low points. My aim was always to get up after the surgeries. I’ve had three of them, I’ve always trusted that the ordeal is worth it, that I can have a big bang for the last time. I think I have nothing to be ashamed of. A lot of people would’ve given up halfway.
Q: You’re an Olympic, World and European Champion, so you’ve won every major title possible.
A: I was not really motivated by the success and results any more, it was more like… I wanted to end my career in a worthy way, true to myself. And now life takes this away from me…
Q: Twelve years ago you were crying in Stuttgart after your Worlds’ silver, because it didn’t get you an Olympic spot for Beijing. Looks like the city is not good for you…
A: Yes, fate somehow does not really want me to have joy in Stuttgart. I will go with the guys regardless, I’ll try to help and support them. I have more experience than anyone else, so even if I have one good piece of advice, it’s worth it. That silver from 12 years ago… That would’ve been good now. Worth a Tokyo spot.
Q: Why are you not saying it out: this is the end?
A: Because I cannot do that yet. The most important thing is to alleviate the pain and be able to normally use my shoulder, because, in my current state, there has been talk about a shoulder replacement. I will see how the rehabilitation process goes. These are only rays of light. One can qualify through the World Cup Series, but I’m not sure if the Olympics are this important. My health is much more important.
Translated from Hungarian by Gergely Marosi.
