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Journalism of Courage
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER. If you are an Austrian at the ongoing Mr Universe championship, those are difficult shoes to step into.
8216;8216;He is Austria8217;s favourite son,8217;8217; says Axel Bauer, the president of the Amateur Australian Body Building Federation. 8216;8216;Every aspiring bodybuilder from the country has had to deal with the legacy of the man.8217;8217;
The hulk from Salzburg was an instant hit with the audience and was mobbed by eager-beavers after the pre-judging event on Saturday at the Oberoi. 8216;8216;He Petautschnig has become a star, hasn8217;t he?8217;8217; smiles Ullmann as he watches his teammate pose with members of the audience, some less than half his size.
Ullmann, who stands at 1.71 metres and weighs 88 kgs, is from Laa Thaya, a town near Vienna, where he owns a gym.
8216;8216;Schwarzenegger is talked about in almost every gym and every Austrian bodybuilder would like to achieve what he has,8217;8217; says Ullmann.
Bauer says that there was widespread media interest during Schwarzenegger8217;s campaign towards becoming the governor of California. 8216;8216;He now heads a state with a population that is higher than that of Austria. So in a manner of speaking, he is more powerful than the head of our country,8217;8217; says Bauer.
Incidentally, Schwarzenegger has never given back anything to the sport that launched him to super stardom. 8216;8216;He has never been involved with body building in the country. We once received a videotaped message from him when the Mr Universe was held at Graz.8217;8217; Incidentally, Graz, the capital of Styria, a sub-country of Austria, has a soccer stadium named after the star.
8216;8216;The government is however not very supportive of the sport which takes a back seat to more popular sports like skiing and soccer,8217;8217; complains Bauer.
So how much of an inspiration is Arnie? 8216;8216;I8217;m a self-motivated body builder. I respect Schwarzenegger8217;s achievements and his rise from such a humble beginning. But I never got into the sport trying to emulate him,8217;8217; says Petautschnig, who admits that he was pleasantly surprised by all the attention he received after the pre-judging event. There should be more of it on Sunday as both the Austrians have qualified for the final round to be staged at the Cricket Club of India lawns.
