When Artistic Roller Skating star Tim Schubert was 6 years old, his parents took him to watch a Christmas show by a local skating club. After watching the show, Schubert declared: “I can do that too!” That is how he started with the sport – and now, 16 years later, he is going to The World Games 2022 in Birmingham, Alabama!
For Tim Schubert, The World Games 2022 will be his first edition of the Games. He is excited to go to Birmingham: “The World Games 2022 will be a special competition for me, because I have been working towards that goal for years. I am also especially excited to meet all the amazing athletes from different kinds of sports and from all over the world. I expect TWG2022 to be a celebration of diversity and the competitive spirit,” he says.
Schubert has been training and competing in Artistic Roller Skating for 15 years. “I love the Artistic Roller Skating because it is so multi-faceted. To compete on a high level you need top-level fitness, great technique, artistic ability, a feeling for music, flexibility and more. That there are so many areas to improve in makes the training fun and different every single day,” Schubert says. The training content also depends on the season. “In the off-season, we do lots of hours in the gym and work on new jumps and spins in the rink. The closer we get to the season, the more we work with the programmes on music to be prepared for the competitions. The number of hours and the type of training depends a lot on the month, the competitions coming up, and other circumstances. A typical number for season preparation would be around 20 hours of training per week.”
The Roller Skating star is excited to see new sports at The World Games 2022: “I love learning about new sports, therefore I will especially enjoy sports that are less common in Europe, like Flag Football, Softball or Muaythai.” He also has a message for the German Flag Football team. When asked which sport he would choose to compete in at The World Games, if not in his own, he replies: “I think I'd make a good Flag Football WR [Wide Receiver]. Put me in, coach!”
During this week, fans were given the opportunity to ask Schubert questions online. One of the fans asked whether Artistic Roller Skating and Figure Skating on ice are very different. “There are lots of similarities between the two sports: the types of jumps and spins we do, the judging system, the type of training, ... Therefore a number of successful skaters from Europe compete in both sports. I have tried ice skating a couple of times, too, but believe me, I am terrible!” Schubert laughs. To answer another fan’s question, he lets us know that he has never tried Speed Skating, but would love to do so.
Tim Schubert is currently studying at the University of Freiburg for a Masters degree in Sustainable Systems Engineering. For him, The World Games 2022 are the big goal for next year:
“As a season highlight, The World Games are unusually early in the skating season. Therefore I plan to compete in as many events as possible before July, to gain as much experience as possible and to be in top shape. My goal and dream is to get a medal at The World Games.”
The World Games is a multi-sport event staged every four years by the International World Games Association, organised with the support of the International Olympic Committee. The 11th edition of The World Games will be held in Birmingham, Alabama, USA, 7-17 July 2022. 3,600 athletes from 34 sports and over 100 countries will take part in The World Games.