Oslo (AP) – After his unusual mistake at the legendary Holmenkollen, ski jumper Karl Geiger found clear words.
“I missed the first one cleanly, I was really sorry. It’s doubly bitter in team jumping. It’s not that far down yet, so I’ll do better tomorrow,” said the 29-year-old top athlete about his 107.5 -Meter jump, which made Germany’s mixed in Oslo fall back significantly.
Winner Slovenia was unattainable with 110 points and thus more than 60 meters, but more would have been possible at least against second Austria and third Norway. “The mistake can happen, it has saved us so many times. We have to accept that,” said national coach Stefan Horngacher on ZDF. Katharina Althaus and Markus Eisenbichler, who only arrived on Thursday after Corona quarantine, showed top jumps this time, while Geiger and Juliane Seyfarth made a mistake.
“Of course we would have liked to have been further up the field, no question about it,” admitted women’s national coach Maximilian Mechler. The hoped-for compensation after the much-discussed disqualification at the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing has not been achieved. When asked what he intends to do for the individual on Saturday and Sunday, Geiger replied: “Definitely better than today.”
Eisenbichler: “It has happened to everyone”
Buddy Eisenbichler empathetically aligned: “I’m sorry for Karl with his first jump. But I don’t blame him, it’s happened to everyone.” For the Allgäu violinist, the long duel with Japan’s Ryoyu Kobayashi is also about the yellow jersey of the overall World Cup winner. Kobayashi goes into the final weeks with a slight lead. It is also the conclusion of the Raw Air Tour. Horngacher believes Geiger and Eisenbichler can do more individual podiums before the important Ski Flying World Championships in Vikersund next week.
The mixed game in Beijing, which was characterized by a total of five disqualifications, has recently caused emotional discussions. “We have worked through the Beijing issue. Now there is a mixed competition. Basically, it’s always about the same thing: loose and balanced ski jumping. This issue no longer plays a major role,” clarified the German official Horst Hüttel.