The former Norwegian world-class ski jumper Maren Lundy has apologized for her choice of words in the cheating debate surrounding the ÖSV Adler at the Four Hills Tournament.
She never had the intention of accusing the Austrian ski jumpers of cheating, said Maren Lundby in the “Dagbladet” interview, who, according to her own statement, has received many messages from ÖSV fans in the last few days: “There weren’t many who were nice were.”
The Norwegian had previously described the dominance of the Austrian Eagles as “absolutely sick” and “suspicious” and said that the dominant team on the tour must have found “something”. The cheating debate really picked up steam after that.
“Many people wrote to me and said I was crazy”
“I shouldn’t have used those words. I regret that,” Lundby rowed back. The word “sick” in particular can be misunderstood. “And I think that’s exactly what happened in Austria. Many people wrote to me and said I was crazy. […] I’ll express myself differently next time.”
She just wanted to say that the ÖSV Eagles have found something that the other nations don’t have. “And that has to be allowed. But no one was disqualified or failed the material check,” emphasized Lundby, emphasizing that in her opinion the Austrians did not cheat and instead gained an advantage in a legal way.
Lundby: ÖSV Adler on the tour “one floor higher”
“It’s obvious that they jump well. But it’s also obvious that they have a good setup with their material. That creates interest. I’m very curious to see what solutions they rely on and what they’ve done so well to jump,” explained the Olympic champion from Pyeongchang.
Lundby himself has no idea what the ÖSV Adler’s recipe for success is on this tour. But she has also observed that the transition from the take-off to the flight phase works significantly better for them than for the competition. “They are one floor higher than everyone else. The phase after the edge looks different for them,” said the former world-class jumper.