The DSV team will start the World Cup with the gold candidates Vinzenz Geiger and Katharina Schmid from Wednesday. But the ski jumps are worried.
Pius Paschke and Co. threatens a fiasco, but the combiners and even the cross-country skiers reach for the stars: Before the start of the Nordic Ski World Cup in Trondheim on Wednesday, the mood in the German team is the same as the changeable weather in Norway. A lot of sun is announced for the eleven days in Ski-Mecca, Nordic, but also plenty of rain and storm.
“We are quite down, that’s how it is,” says national ski jumping coach Stefan Horngacher. As always, the World Cup focuses on its greatest attention. The problem: Medals can hardly count on medals, Andreas Wellinger, Karl Geiger and Co. “We are very far from favorite,” says Horngacher.
A single top ten place in the last seven competitions in front of the World Cup are a sobering record. Even with the team, actually a medal bank, the podium seems questionable. It was 18 years ago that the DSV eagles did not end up in an individual or with the team on the World Cup platform. “We can go to Trondheim without expectations. But if you are lucky, we can win medals,” says Wellinger.
So how good that there are women: defending champion Katharina Schmid, Selina Freitag and Agnes Reisch were all on the podium this winter and are planning a ski jump party for the World Cup. “Everyone has the goal to help the medals, especially the gold medal,” says Schmid.
Two years ago in Planica, the Allgäuin, at that time still with her maiden name Althaus, cleared three gold medals. “It will be difficult to top that. That was the coolest two weeks,” says the Allgäuin. Now her last World Cup is just around the corner – the 28 -year -old decides in spring whether she continues her career.
Violin in the permanent duel with riiber
The combiners, especially Vinzenz Geiger, also planned medals. The Olympic champion had recently delivered a permanent duel with record world champion Jarl Magnus Riiber, who should continue in Trondheim. “I recently beat Jarl three times. I know that it wasn’t nice for him and that it will certainly motivate him,” says Geiger.
The situation among women, where Nathalie Armbruster was recently conquered Norwegian Ida Marie Hagen. A total of six World Cup titles are awarded in the combination. “Our claim is to fight for the medals in all races,” says DSV sports director Horst Hüttel.
There are also brave tones from the former problem children from the cross -country skiing run. The deep valley with five world championships without a medal has passed since there were silver and bronze for the seasons in Planica. A repetition is possible, thanks to Victoria Carl there is even a coup in one.
“Of course I dream of a single medal. If everything fits, it is also feasible. But it will be a hard fight,” says Carl. Katharina Hennig, on the other hand, still has deficit after several illnesses. “That’s why you can’t expect that she can fight the podium,” says team boss Peter Schlickenrieder.
Eleven days, 25 chances – the prospects are truly golden. Since 1999, the DSV had only remained without a World Cup title (2009). The next will follow in Trondheim – maybe on Thursday by crossbowers.