(C) IG online |
Interview
mit Heidi Piccardi, erschienen in IG online (www.intlgymnast.com)
am 16. Juli 2001:
Australia's
Piccardi To Compete For Austria
Australian national team member Heidi Piccardi
told IG of her plans to transition from Australia to Austria -
the latter country for which she will now compete. "My coaches have been very supportive and are helping me
with my preparation for the World Championships," said
Piccardi from Brisbane, where she will continue to train until
the end of the year. Piccardi's father was born in
Austria, so she has dual citizenship. She plans to compete for Austria at the World
Championships in Ghent, Belgium, this fall. "The Austrian girls are happy that I am able to make a
contribution to their national team," Piccardi told IG.
Piccardi, 17, said she plans to study in Austria next
year,
as she continues her gymnastics career. "I speak a little
German, but my aim is to perfect my German next year," she
said. Piccardi, who placed eighth all-around at the 2001 Australian
Championships, said she does not anticipate culture shock as she
prepares to immerse herself in Austria. "I feel that no major cultural adjustment will need to
be made, because my parents have brought me up with a good
understanding of both cultures," Piccardi told IG.
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