Cicognini aims for shuttle diplomacy
Jeanine Cicognini, Switzerland's women's badminton champion, could cause a few surprises in Beijing if she can keep the injuries at bay.
Claude Heiniger, the two-time Swiss badminton champion, cites Cicognini’s mental strength as one of her main advantages in the world’s fastest racket sport.
But “Cico”, who is robust and pugnacious on court rather than light and graceful, also has a solid technique: she became Swiss champion at only 16.
The world number 47 – and the only Swiss badminton player, male or female, in Beijing – is now following in the footsteps of Liselotte Blumer.
Blumer won the Swiss women’s champion every year between 1973 and 1987, gold at the 1980 European Badminton Championships and could defeat many top-level men.
But Heiniger dismisses medal talk for the 21-year-old Swiss women’s number one, who he says is still working her way to the top. She is making solid progress, but needs to work even harder to have a chance of beating the world’s best, especially the Chinese medal favourites.
In Beijing everything will depend on the draw. Heiniger believes that with a bit of luck Cicognini could win one or two matches, but it is going to be very difficult to make it past the quarterfinals.
He says she is currently capable of beating players ranked around 20 in the world, but in a couple of years Cicognini could break into the top ten.
However for that to happen she is going to have to look after her body. She has already had problems with her knees and back, but she says she is in good shape for the Olympics.
No illusions
“I always dreamt of qualifying,” Cicognini says. “I feel really good. I’ve worked hard both on court and on my fitness. Unless I get beaten by one of the top, top players, I’d hope to get past the first round.”
Cicognini is not however under any illusions. “I’ll learn a lot in Beijing. I’m still young and the medals are not for me yet. My main aim is to be in the top 20 when the London Olympics come around in 2012.”
In order to improve her preparation, she left Switzerland and spent three years in Denmark, a leading light of European badminton. That was followed by more than a year in Germany, at the international badminton federation’s training centre.
The federation is working hard to nurture a few European talents who can break into the Asian-dominated sport.
Return to Switzerland?
Strengthened by her experience in Beijing, Cicognini could return to Switzerland to pursue her career and train under the aegis of the Swiss badminton federation, although she says diplomatically that she hasn’t taken any firm decisions.
However, for three years Swiss Badminton has supported Cicognini and enabled her to develop her talents – and she will continue to be pushed to reach the peak of her sport.
“In particular in Bern, with our national coach, she could benefit from a much more personalised training than in the big European centres,” said Heiniger.
Whatever happens in Beijing, Jeanine Cicognini will keep her feet on the ground. One thing at a time: Beijing – and then the world!
swissinfo, based on a French article by Pierre-François Besson
Cicognini was born in Brig, canton Valais, in November 1986.
She became a badminton professional as soon as she left school.
She soon moved to Denmark but for the past year she has been at the international badminton federation’s training centre in Saarbrucken, Germany.
Cicognini won her first Swiss senior title aged 16 and has since won the award three more times.
The badminton event of the 29th Olympic Games will be held at the Beijing University of Technology Gymnasium from August 9-17.
Badminton was contested as a demonstration sport during the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich. It debuted as a full medal sport in 1992 at Barcelona. Men and women compete at the Olympics in both singles and doubles, and the events have been dominated by Indonesia, China, and Korea.
The flight of the shuttlecock, a missile of cork and goose feather that players volley across the net, has been recorded at speeds of 260km/h. Speed, agility and lightning-fast reflexes are essential. As is stamina: players have been known to cover more than six kilometres in a match.
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