D.Olympic champion brothers Robert and Christophe Harding reconciled after five years of strife and resentment and celebrated Christmas again. “I invited Christoph to my house and we were there with my wife Julia, our twins, our parents and Grandma Renat,” said Robert Harding. “Built on Zondak” in a double interview. The 2012 Olympic discus champion in London is six years older than his brother Christophe, who won gold in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro.
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The native Lusadians did not exchange a single word for five years, especially as their parents suffered from quarrels between siblings. “We didn’t even say‘ hello ’to each other,” said 31-year-old Christoph Harding – not even at Christmas. “No, we avoided each other.”
In March a joint television appearance broke the ice and began reconciliation. For the first time since 2016, the two celebrated Christmas together again. “I was really looking forward to it. Now seeing us together again is a great relief, especially for our parents. Like us, you too have suffered greatly in this situation,” said Christoph Harding, who was disappointed internationally after his Olympic victory in Rio and did not have much success in the discus ring. .
As both Berliners now reveal – and apologize – there were open and honest words before the reconciliation. “Then we first met alone and talked for almost two hours, and then we were with the family,” said Robert Harding. “Everyone at the dinner table was allowed to let go of their worries. With a certain level of maturity, we first removed the misconceptions that third parties always contributed to us and affected us. And: Above all, we apologized to each other.
Christoph Harding has also jumped into his shadow for years without being able to compromise. “Two or three things need to be clarified, otherwise old stories will not be brought to the table. We have set everything to zero, a kind of restoration,” he said. , We do it well, in addition we will no longer allow third parties to chat with us, ”said Robert Harding, 37.