He looks happy: Luciano CORREA, former world champion and two-time Pan Am winner. The 40-year-old Brazilian has been living and working in Potsdam for almost two years – as a men’s nationalteam coach at the Olympic training centre in Potsdam. His protégés include the DJB national squad athletes Erik Abramov and Yvo Wittasek (both +100). Luciano Correa talks in the EJU interview about…
… his adopted home: “Joanna (his wife, four-time Olympic swimmer, fifth at the 2004 Olympics), Caetano (son) and I feel very much at home here. I was spoilt for choice two years ago: I could have become a national coach in Brazil, but I made a conscious decision in favour of Germany – in favour of my family and the quality of life. We feel very safe here. My job is exciting and well-paid. Potsdam is a really beautiful city, we’ve really arrived! Of course I miss my family back in Brazil, but that’s part of the game.”
… the Olympic training centre: “Of course, it helped that DJB men’s head coach Pedro Guedes is also Brazilian. But my fellow coaches made me feel very welcome from day one – it’s no exaggeration to say that we, the coaching staff, are like a family. The atmosphere is really good. I couldn’t wish for anything better.”
… Team Germany at the U-23 European Championships in Potsdam: “We’re sure to win a few medals, preferably on all three competition days. The most important medal would be gold in the mixed team competition on Sunday. We still have a score to settle from last year’s 4:1 final defeat against Turkey in Sarajevo.”
Author: EJU Media