The experiences at the Olympic Games in Paris still feel surreal for table tennis player Annett Kaufmann more than a month later. The 18-year-old was brought in as a substitute and her unexpectedly strong performance played a decisive role in the strong result in the team competition. “If someone had told me a year ago – or before I graduated in June – that Annett, you’ll come fourth at the Olympics, I would probably have given them the finger,” said Kaufmann in an interview with the Munich-based “Abendzeitung”.
The left-hander, who lives in Bietigheim-Bissingen near Stuttgart, always attracts attention with gestures such as the clenched fist reminiscent of former tennis star Boris Becker or the outstretched right index finger. She made the fist as a child and it is not really related to Becker, Kaufmann explained. But there is a prominent role model for the index finger. “I copied that from Sebastian Vettel because I really like watching Formula 1. I want to show that many things are in God’s hands,” said the player from the Bavarian club SV DJK Kolbermoor.
Swiftie through and through
Kaufmann also described himself as a big fan of pop star Taylor Swift. “I actually know all of her songs by heart. When I’m the DJ on car rides, I usually play Swift,” Kaufmann said. “I tried to get my friends and fellow players interested in her – unfortunately, it didn’t work for everyone. But I’m a Swiftie through and through.”
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