Nordic combination: “You are the boss”: Geiger leads combiners to gold

In the end, “the boss” had everything under control. When Vinzenz Geiger introduced the atmospheric granases ski on the home straight, his three gold colleagues from Oberstdorf were already ready to celebrate. “The last climb is mine, I implemented it that way,” said team world champion Geiger after the first German World Cup title at the Nordic Ski World Cup in Trondheim. Austria and the hosts from Norwegians weakened by a disqualification were left behind.

The German team defied some adversities at this World Cup and also a fall of starters Johannes Rydzek on the 4×5 kilometers. “Guys, many thanks. You made a mega job,” said national coach Eric Frenzel in the ARD interview directly to his four gold winners Rydzek, Geiger, Julian Schmid and Youngster Wendelin Thannheimer. The former world -class athlete Frenzel was close to tears.

Graabak’s bond inadmissible

Frenzel had given his final runner Geiger a motto in the final sprint of the team competition that reminded of Joachim Löw and Mario Götze in the 2014 World Cup final (“Show the world that you are better than Messi”): “You are the boss.” This was actually violent when he impressively impressed the surprisingly strong Fabio Obermayr on the last climb. After all, Norway secured bronze, but after an inadmissible binding of Jörgen Graabak when ski jumping was without chance in fighting gold.

After the singles on Saturday (9.30 a.m. ski jumping, 2:30 p.m. cross -country skiing), there should also be a proper celebration. “The party will really be going tomorrow. Tomorrow will celebrate full throttle,” announced Geiger.

After silver in mixed and bronze in the normal hill till, the 27-year-old Allgäuer now has a medal set at the title fights of Trondheim. After an Olympic victory in Pyeongchang and Beijing it was Geiger’s first World Cup title.

Chief coach Frenzel celebrated gold as a coach for the first time two years after his career end. “The heart is still beating up. It is very bad to watch. I am very proud of my boys. I am very proud of my boys,” said the 36-year-old, who still knows all of his four athletes from the active time.

Verbal skirmishes of the top nations

For Norway, a famous series ended after World Cup gold 2019, 2021 and 2023. The outstanding Jarl Magnus Riiber made it in third place in three -way fight with Japan and Finland and secured bronze. After the verbal skirmishes in the past few days, the large World Cup duel with Germany was based on Graabak’s disqualification.

Riiber had described the protest of the German Ski Association (DSV) as “disgusting” and accused rival unsportsmanlike. The German team doesn’t give too much on it, as Schmid let know on Friday.

“What he says does not interest me at all. It doesn’t matter to me what he says. I do my stuff, we do our stuff. What he is shouting around, I don’t care,” said the Oberstdorfer in an unusually harsh tone. When Riiber cheered to bronze in the afternoon, the German World Champion Quartet had long been at the finish line.