His World Cup debut didn't go perfectly.

Pascal Brendel had a few wobbles in his three appearances for the German Gymnastics Federation in the team qualification in Liverpool.

Nevertheless, the 19-year-old Wehrheimer, who had only slipped into the team at the last moment because of two corona cases, found: "It was a cool experience.

It made me want to take part in the next World Championships in Antwerp.” Brendel wants to challenge established German gymnasts.

Five years ago he was on the verge of retiring, although he loves his sport.

Things had been going great for a long time after his father Matthias got him and his brother into gymnastics.

A trainer from the Frankfurt performance center became aware of him.

The talent thrived, winning state and national titles.

But at some point during puberty, when the body and mind are changing drastically, “the little button that you simply press with younger people so that they do what is required no longer worked,” says father Matthias Brendel.

The trainer, "technically very good, pedagogically with very large deficits", has "the biggest problem" with such adolescent athletes.

"You have to, you have to, you have to," it was always said, says the son himself. There were more and more ugly scenes.

Problems with pressure situations

At first Pascal Brendel didn't say anything at home.

After all, he wanted to continue pursuing his passion.

"I still blame myself today for not getting him out of there sooner," says his father.

The "compulsion" and the resulting disputes were not without consequences.

Pascal still has problems with pressure situations today and “cannot keep a cool head” in them.

The father, who now trains his offspring himself, then leaves the hall and lets him switch off a bit.

There was no help from the Hessian Gymnastics Association, where the trainer was employed.

"Words were said at the time, after which I preferred to break off the talks.

We were accused of arranging it in such a way that the coach was suspended.”

This was preceded by an intervention by the Carl von Weinberg School, to which the girls who were standing in the hall with the gymnasts had turned.

"They noticed how the boys were verbally abused and then came to school crying," says Matthias Brendel.

Nevertheless, the coach is still back in the hall today.

The Brendels pulled the ripcord.

When Pascal was in training "without supervision" two weeks before the German youth championships, Wolfgang Hambüchen, Fabian Hambüchen's father, took over responsibility for a while.

Since then, the training venue has been the Wetzlar performance center.

In the meantime, Matthias Brendel has given up his job in the rescue service to devote himself to his son's athletic training and to attend the coaching academy at the sports university in Cologne.

Quarrels are also common between father and son.

"But we can talk to each other in a completely different way," says the gymnast.

With respect and at eye level.

"I'm not a machine," emphasizes Pascal Brendel.

In the family he feels understood.

He also enjoys his favorite sport again.