After the disappointing start and the suit farce in mixed, many experts had already written off the German ski jumping team at the Olympics. But in the final showdown, Karl Geiger and Co. kept their nerves – and could hardly believe their luck afterwards.
When the TV pictures in the Zhangjiakou ski jumping stadium focused on the Norwegian team, it suddenly got loud. From the “off” came a four-throated sound, which – even for people in the immediate vicinity – was difficult to classify at first.
Away from the cameras, four German ski jumpers formed a spontaneous cheering cluster and shouted out the tension of the past week and a half unfiltered. While the international TV audience saw the less than euphoric Norwegians, Karl Geiger, Markus Eisenbichler, Constantin Schmid and Stephan Leyhe jumped up and down hugging each other. You just had the bronze medal in team jumping.
“Jaaaaaaaa” – there is so much more behind this spontaneous exclamation of joy than third place at the Olympics. It was the final chord of an emotional roller coaster ride that those responsible for the German Ski Association (DSV) had probably never wished for before the games.
Eisenbichler: “All emotions broke out there”
“Every emotion really broke out there,” said Markus Eisenbichler at the international press conference afterwards. There it quickly became clear that observers from Poland, Slovenia and Japan were also surprised by the emotional outburst of the DSV quartet – especially because of the volume.
The DSV team does not only consist of loudspeakers. Leyhe or Geiger in particular tend to be representatives of a quieter, more reserved key. But because in the end 0.8 points decided in favor of the German team and secured bronze in front of the highly regarded Norwegian, they too became unexpectedly emotional.
“It was an incredibly close competition today,” said a visibly relaxed violinist in a press conference that was also attended by t-online. “I’m just glad that it was enough.”
After his final jump in the team competition, Karl Geiger wasn’t sure if it would be enough for bronze. (Source: imago images)
Geiger’s uncertainty
The German star jumper, who had won bronze in the individual competition on the large hill two days earlier, played a significant part in this. With 128 meters he secured the medal in the final attempt. In the end, the tiny size of 44 centimeters tipped the scales in favor of the DSV quartet
“I was afraid it wasn’t enough,” Geiger later admitted, and only added “please, please, please, please, please, hopefully that’s enough” when the Norwegian Marius Lindviks jumped.
“A lottery for the athletes”: t-online reporter Alexander Kohne reports on the extreme weather conditions in China. (Source: t-online)
And this really happened in the end at an icy -23 degrees Celsius. “It’s disgusting what Carl did,” said a deeply impressed Leyhe, who was shivering from the cold.
A few days ago, few observers would have believed Geiger capable of such a feat. At the start, the World Cup leader on the normal hill surprisingly missed the top 10.
Althaus’ controversial disqualification
A day later everything was supposed to get better in the mixed show jumping, but Katharina Althaus, who was in second place, was surprisingly disqualified because her suit was too big – and all the German team’s chances of winning a medal were gone. In the DSV camp, there was talk of “farce” and “punch and puppet theater”.
As a result, there was increasing uncertainty – especially with Starspringer Geiger (“I was at the end”). His third place on the large hill on Saturday, which national coach Stefan Horngacher celebrated as a “liberation”, was all the more surprising.
Karl Geiger celebrates: With this jump on the large hill, he passed many of his competitors. (Source: t-online)
Geiger’s surprising medal as liberation
How big this liberation really was could be seen in the final ski jumping competition of the Olympic Games on Monday. There, Geiger seemed different. So all is well that ends well? “Yes, you have to say so,” replied the Allgäuer.
Now he wants to go down a bit. For the time being, the DSV team cannot be expected to make similarly loud jubilations as on this evening in Zhangjaikou.