Winter sports
Geiger wins at the end: Combiners get off to a furious start
After a difficult year, the German Nordic combined athletes are making a big impression at the start of the season. Now it’s time to celebrate. Success also gives us courage to face the challenges ahead.
The brilliant start to the season made Eric Frenzel grin broadly. “Oh, yes. You couldn’t ask for anything better,” said the head coach of the German Nordic Combined on ZDF. At the end of the opening weekend in the World Cup, Vinzenz Geiger, now also leading in the overall World Cup, won ahead of the Norwegian Jarl Magnus Riiber and his teammate Manuel Faißt. The day before there was an entirely German podium led by Johannes Rydzek. Of nine podium places in Finland, seven went to the Frenzel team.
“Incredibly beautiful,” said Rydzek. “I think we can enjoy that and celebrate a little bit today.” The coach didn’t want to stand in the way. Frenzel gave the go-ahead for the celebration: “Such moments don’t happen often. That’s why we have to enjoy it.”
Successes are surprising after a tough last winter
The successes are particularly fun for the German team because they were not necessarily foreseeable. In the last premiere season under coach Frenzel there was not a single win and only three top-three places. Far too little for the ambitious combiners who have been spoiled for success for years thanks to athlete Frenzel. Now the former world-class athlete’s work as a coach seems to be delivering the hoped-for results – just in time for the World Cup season.
“A lot of nice things happened today,” said Rydzek, who was also happy with his sixth place on Sunday. The 32-year-old was excited about the coming weekend: “We’ll take the feeling with us to Lillehammer.” Geiger can then compete there in the yellow jersey. In the mass start he went into the decisive ski jumping competition in second place. There a jump lifted him to the top at 133.5 meters. “It’s unbelievable. If you had told me this a week ago, I wouldn’t have believed it,” he said.
The last time there were three German combined athletes on the podium like on Saturday was at the 2018 Olympics. For Rydzek himself, a 2,150-day winless streak ended. The Oberstdorfer shone with a 142-meter flight and confidently defended his lead in the ten-kilometer cross-country race.
“Johannes fought his way back last season and in the summer,” praised Frenzel. “We’ll enjoy it with him and hopefully he’ll enjoy it too.” According to Rydzek’s statements, this could be assumed the next day.
dpa
Source: Stern
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