By: Rick Halling, Atomic
Many of the top Worldcup racers switched to Atomic this past summer. One German coach made the remark, “It is like the other ski companies are the tired old husbands who take their trophy wives for granted and they are surprised when the wives leave them for some handsome young stud. The athletes are like the trophy wives and Atomic is the handsome young stud. All the top athletes are leaving the tired old husbands and they are switching to Atomic.†Claudia Kuenzel of Germany is one of the top athletes Atomic “took away†this past summer. The 28 year old native of Zschopau has earned Gold and Silver medals at the Olympics and the Nordic World Championships. She is recognized as perhaps the most versatile athlete on the Worldcup with victories in sprint and distance events in both skate and classic. She is also a respected artist whose paintings have received positive reviews by European critics. Claudia married former US coach Trond Nystad last summer. The following interview took place at the couple’s home in southern Germany.
 . In the beginning of September is the next team training camp. We then go 10 days to Ramsau to ski. </p>
<p><b>What role does your husband Trond play in your training? Does he work with your national team coach or does he stay out of it completely? </b></p>
<p>Trond is the coach for our training group, so he is very involved with the day to day training. Trond and my old coach Lutz Haenel work together as a team with training planning and monitoring.</p>
<p><b>Is he able to work out with you, or is he no longer at that level of fitness? </b></p>
<p>Trond can run with us most of the time, but I hope this is not his best fitness ever. I do for instance not wish to say too much about his performance a few weeks ago in the uphill time trial.</p>
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