Viking Magazine - February 2013 - 46

Q&A
Kayak King
At the Summer Olympic Games in London, Norwegian kayaker
Eirik Verås Larsen paddled to gold. BY ANYA BRITZIUS
aised on the south
coast of Norway in
Flekkefjord, Eirik Verås
Larsen began kayaking when
he was 10 years old. Now, in
addition to a Master's degree
in biomechanics, the 36-yearold
is a two-time Olympic
Champion, fi ve-time World
Champion and seven-time
European Champion. Last
summer he capped off his
Olympic career by paddling
his way to a gold medal in
the 1,000-meter Men's Kayak
Single. Viking caught up with
Larsen about his career and
future plans.
R
Q How did you become
interested in kayaking?
A Flekkefjord has a long
tradition with kayaking.
You can see people kayaking
from anywhere in the city.
The [local kayaking] club
has produced three World
Champions before me.
Q What was your mindset
going into the 2012 Olympic
Games in London?
A I felt very prepared and
believed I was good enough to
win. For the last two years, I've
trained with this one goal in
mind: peaking once. I've spent
many months training at Indian
46 VIKING FEBRUARY 2013
Harbour Beach, Fla., to prepare
myself for Olympics. I usually
train three times a day.
Q How does your gold
medal-winning race compare
to your Olympic wins in 2004
and 2008?
A I knew my start was
important, and I focused a lot
on not being too far behind after
the fi rst 250m of the race. This
seemed to stress out the other
competitors because I am very
strong at the end of my races.
The accomplishment was the
same as in Athens 2004 [gold
and bronze medals], and it's
hard for me to say that one is
better than the other. Beijing
2008 [silver medal] was also a
very good race, but the glory
between gold and silver is huge.
Q What are some of the best
memories from London?
A My wife [Mira Verås Larsen]
also competed in the London
Olympics [in kayaking] and
got to carry the Norwegian fl ag
during the Opening Ceremony.
I carried the fl ag at the Closing
Ceremony. My best memories
from London were when my
wife carried the fl ag, me crossing
the fi nish line and Mo Farah
from Great Britain winning the
5000-meter track and fi eld race.
sonsofnorway.com
Norway's Eirik Verås
Larsen celebrates
his gold medal at
the London 2012
Olympics Games.
Q How does it feel to
represent Norway and bring
home a gold medal?
A It's fantastic! Since Norway
only got one individual gold
this time, the support has been
massive. It feels like everyone
in Norway was watching the
race since it was on the 10th
day of the Olympics.
Q Do you have any plans
to participate in the 2016
Olympics?
A I don't have any plans for
Rio 2016. I haven't decided
what I will do for a living yet,
but I will be working with
Olympic sports in Norway in
some capacity. I also have a
business importing Nelo kayaks
that I will develop further.
Q What do you enjoy doing
in your free time?
A I enjoy hunting for elk, deer,
reindeer, ducks and grouse.
Name:
Eirik Verås Larsen
Current City: Oslo
Recent
Accomplishment:
Olympic gold medalist
in the 1,000-meter
kayak single
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF JIM YOUNG / REUTERS
http://www.sonsofnorway.com
Viking Magazine - February 2013

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