Mueller's Athens Dream May Come in Stars and Stripes

Xeno Mueller
© FISA

There is always a flurry of activity leading up to the Olympic Games as athletes evaluate their competitive prospects and assess the best way to make them happen. Sometimes this means changing nationalities. Swiss Olympic Champion Xeno Mueller is doing just this – preparing to become the United States single sculling representative at Athens.

Reflecting his birthplace of Switzerland, high school in France, University in the United States and time in Germany and Spain, Mueller speaks with a mixed European accent peppered by a hint of American.

Single sculler Mueller is comfortable with his decision to seek United States citizenship having lived there since 1992 when he rowed as a university student. “I’ve had tremendous moral support from people in the United States,” says Mueller. “Here in the US there are many comeback stories.”

But the road is not going to be easy for Mueller. Normally it takes over a year for citizenship and Mueller needs to be naturalised by April so that he can compete in the first round of US trials. “I’ve sent letters to President Bush, to Governor Schwarzenegger…” The list is long.

“It’s harder for me to get to the starting line this time,” says Mueller, who has already competed in three Olympic Games, collecting gold in 1996 and silver in 2000. If Mueller gets United States citizenship by April he first must win the US rowing trials. As the United States is yet to qualify for Athens in the men’s single, Mueller must then finish in the top two at the final Olympic qualifying regatta in June. On top of this Mueller must do it in front of his home crowd in Lucerne, Switzerland.

Lining up in United States colours does not faze Mueller. “I would feel honoured to compete for the US,” says Mueller. “This country is one big melting pot.”

Mueller is well known for his candid remarks and problems with the Swiss Federation who chose not to woo Mueller back to race for them. “I ruffle feathers and polarise people,” Mueller admits. “They (the Swiss Federation) told me, ‘the future is not Xeno Mueller.’ ” Mueller also cites the lack of financial support from Switzerland and their system of qualification that means Mueller must do three to four races in Europe as further reasons not to try for the Swiss team.

Mueller’s decision to change countries is also for family reasons. Living in California makes it difficult for Mueller to train and race in Europe. Mueller also saw a financial dead-end in competitive rowing and felt that he could not support his family solely from rowing. Mueller has been married to Erin, an American citizen, since 1996 and has three children, Georgia, Xeno Jr. and Christopher.

Added to Mueller’s international entourage is British-based coach, Dave Martin. “He knows exactly my strengths and weaknesses,” says Mueller, who started to train seriously in September 2003. Serious training means three to four hours a day, half of it on the water and the other half cross training. “I’m on the Atkins diet and on target for my weight. It’s important that I burn a bunch of calories,” says Mueller who admits that he has to work hard not to put on weight.

This comeback follows Mueller’s disappearance from international competition following the Swiss National Championships in 2002. It was at these championships that Mueller suffered a bad case of nerves. The Swiss reigning champion had rowed to the start line of the men’s singles final, but then turned around and rowed back to the dock, forfeiting the race. Mueller says the financial burden of supporting his family was weighing too heavily on his shoulders. “It costs me thousands of dollars a month to run the family,” says Mueller. “Continuing to race was too risky, it broke me down.”

Mueller considers this his last chance to try for the Olympics. “After the age of 32 I have to do something else,” says Mueller who now runs an indoor rowing centre and is a personal coach to mainly masters rowers.

So will Mueller ever move back to Switzerland? “Now I am a southern Californian,” he replies.