New coach for Kariem Hussein's Olympic goals

Kariem Hussein is now working with Swiss coach Laurent Meuwly with a view to his major long-term goal, the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. The 2014 European 400-meter hurdles champion is thus setting new stimuli in order to be able to develop even further athletically.

Swiss track and field crack Kariem Hussein has used the off-season to reshape his environment for the next few years. First and foremost, the hurdler has decided to make a change in the coaching staff. From now on Kariem Hussein will be coached by Laurent Meuwly from Freiburg. Meuwly is head coach sprint/hurdles at Swiss Athletics and is responsible for the Swiss top athletes Lea Sprunger and Sarah Atcho, among others.

New stimuli on a successful path
Laurent Meuwly thus replaces the previous coach Flavio Zberg. In the past five years, Zberg has led the LC Zurich athlete to the top of the world. Zberg accompanied Hussein to the European championship title in the Letzigrund stadium in 2014, to the bronze medal at the 2016 European Championships in Amsterdam and to five Swiss championship titles. At Weltklasse Zurich from the end of August, Kariem Hussein confirmed his world-class level by equalizing his personal best of 48.45 seconds. In all these years, Zberg was more than just a coach for Hussein. "We went through everything together. Flavio accompanied me when I celebrated my greatest success in 2014. Together we have also experienced setbacks, such as the injury around the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. Flavio and his family are also part of my family." For sporting reasons, however, Kariem Hussein has decided to take a new path. With Laurent Meuwly, he is trying to continue on the path that has been successful so far and to develop further through new stimuli and new ideas.

In the future, Flavio Zberg will increasingly look after great young talents such as the U23 European Championship silver medalist in the 400-meter hurdles, Dany Brand. "The time with Kariem has brought me a lot. I was able to develop enormously as a coach. I will continue to make this know-how available to the hopeful Swiss track and field athletes with full commitment. In my function as national coach and club coach, I will of course continue to be available to Kariem with advice and support as needed."

From Berlin via Doha to Tokyo
Kariem Hussein is planning together with coach Laurent Meuwly with a view to the next major events. In addition to completing his medical studies, the 2018 European Championships in Berlin are on the horizon. After winning the title in Zurich in 2014 and the bronze medal in Amsterdam in 2016, the 28-year-old from eastern Switzerland would also like to have a say in the podium places in Berlin. The World Championships in Doha are coming up in 2019 and Hussein's dream of reaching the Olympic final in Tokyo in 2020 should finally come true. In the near future, Hussein is planning his preparations for the next season. At the end of November, he will travel to South Africa together with coach Meuwly to prepare for the upcoming tasks under the best training conditions.