On his plans for the rest of the year, Hussein said, “I was injured last year so my goal is to come back and reach the world class. We have IAAF Diamond League races in athletics and we have the IAAF World Championships in Doha at the end of September. I want to reach the final and be successful. I am going to give it my best.”
Hussein is drawn to the 400 meter hurdles race between “it is still a sprint” and since it involves hurdles, one needs to “be a good technician.” “It is good for the mind and it’s a good distance,” he acknowledged.
Each day, Hussein is motivated by the lofty goals that he sets for himself in sports or in life. “It doesn’t matter what kind of goals you set for yourself, just set them,” he said.
For young and aspiring track and field athletes, he encouraged them “to have fun.” “Do what your passion is. I used to play soccer until I was 20, and that was my passion until I discovered track and field. Without passion, nothing is going to work to be successful. Dream big and set goals. Think positive” he said.
“Look for a good club or a place to train. That’s the most important. The rest will come by itself,” he added.
Digital transformation of track and field
On the impact of technology on track and field, he said, “I don’t know how it was before a decade ago. Today, you have more analytics and diagnostics, but running is still running. You can’t invent running since the rules are the same. Perhaps for recovery and rehabilitation, technology is important. You need to run fast either way. Knowledge hasn’t changed. In Switzerland, they like to do a lot of tests.”
As a hurdler, Hussein shared that he uses video analysis in his routine as an athlete.
For dedicated fans and volunteers, the 30-year-old athlete expressed his gratitude. “A big ‘thanks’ to everybody who is following and cheering,” he said. “Follow us and keep watching us. The fans motivate us.”
Hussein defined the word success as “being back in track and field after being injured.” “I was really badly injured and I didn’t know if I could ever be on track again, but now I am happy I am back. I feel the passion again. Success is reaching your goals, whatever the goal may be,” he said.
To learn more about Swiss track and field athlete Kariem Hussein, follow him on Instagram and his Facebook page.
