"Technique isn't a product of talent"

Austria's Ivona Dadic is slowly but surely making her mark on the international heptathlon scene. The Austrian record holder shares her best practices.

Championship tip

Stay focused and try not to do anything differently just because you are competing on the big stage. The track is as the same length as at is during training. The weight sizes and the hurdles are the same. So just do what you have worked on for the whole year.

For me this was never a big problem because I like competing at championship events. It pushes me to attain good results.

Tactical tip

Don’t start counting points before the javelin [event six in the heptathlon] is over. It is only the final result that counts.

There are many athletes who already starts counting points before the competition's even begun. But things can change very quickly. You can have a surprisingly good result in one event or a nasty shock in another. Each event should then not have an impact on the next.

I would say stay focused and compete in every event as if it is an individual event. I only think tactics are important after the javelin and leading into the final event – the 800m.

Psychological tip

You have no influence in what others do, but you have a lot of influence in what you do. There are so many athletes who waste a lot of time thinking about the results of their opponents, their training environment, and funding in other countries. That’s something you can’t change. All you can do it work on your situation and make it the best you possibly can.

Coaching tip

Training should be so hard that this enables you to have no fear even in the toughest of competitions. It should be easy compared with what you do every day.

Technical tip

Technique is not necessarily a product of talent. It can be influenced easily with hard work and that can help you to gain a lot of points.

For example, in the past I was not such a good hurdler. But we worked a lot on my technique and changed this year from an eight-step to a seven-step approach to the first hurdle, which is a big benefit for an athlete of my height. But changes like this take a lot of time and you have to be tough and believe in what you do to get through these times.

Cooking tip

In general, I would say that your body gives you what you give your body. So, if you just put crap into it, you can’t expect a very high output. But you also should enjoy eating, although don’t forget: the dose makes the poison.

Top parental tip

It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice. 

Fashion tip

Every woman should own a simple elegant black dress. That can be dressed up and down depending on the occasion.

Driving tip

Never overestimate your driving skills, drive safely and always fasten your seatbelt.

Vacation tip

For the reason that my parents are born in Croatia and since childhood I spent a lot of my vacations there, I can recommend everybody to visit this place. Its nice beaches and delicious food are amazing.

Social media tip

Using social media is a nice thing, but I think it’s not necessary to post every step of the life. I think keeping some privacy is very important.