Even before the starting shot of the Nordic Ski World Cup, the German cross-country skiers have to cope with a setback. Sprint specialist Laura Gimmler will be missing at the start. The luggage was also a long time coming.
The 31-year-old Oberstdorfer fails with health problems. Gimmler should actually start at the freestyle sprint on Thursday (February 27, 2025). It was only in January at the World Cup in Cogne for the first time in her career in a single race on the podium. In Trondheim, she is not one of the favorites, but had outsider chances on a medal.
Schlickenrieder: “Put on the mask again, form bubble again”
In order to minimize the risk of infection, the team is now particularly careful, said team boss Peter Schlickenrieder: “Put on the mask again, make hygiene again, form bubble again.“Of course nobody wants to do that,”But it doesn’t help“. For Gimmler, Helen Hoffmann will start on Thursday alongside Victoria Carl, Coletta Rydzek and Sofie Krehl.
However, Rydzek is also significantly weakened. “It has already hit us somewhat hard. Quasi the entire sprint team had a fever“, Schlickenrieder told the SID:”Coletta is now healthy again, but not yet fully there after the disease. For Laura it is very bitter, it was really great in the mood.“
“Brutal distances” – Schlickenrieder wants to weigh
Krehl also had to struggle with illness problems recently and just the “Quarantine“Leaving. For all -rounder Carl it is the rather pressure -free start of a World Cup with great hopes. The Thuringian is suitable for all routes, but, like Katharina Hennig, with whom she had brought in Beijing Olympiagold in 2022.
“The routes are brutally hard, we have to weigh up“, says Schlickenrieder, who is therefore more likely to focus on the team competitions:”With a single medal it will be very, very difficult. Fair, one has to say that the women’s relay is our only realistic medal chance.“
Long -term runners are waiting for luggage
But even away from the trail, the German team is not pursued by luck at the start. Due to 40 missing pieces of luggage, the DSV long runners had to improvise after arriving, but were able to train.
Schlickenrieder took it calmly. “It used to be like this: it was a murder drama when something happened. This now happens with a shrug. There is briefly from room to room, then you have the stuff together in half an hour “.
Multi-talent from Haiti opened WM
Before the first of a total of 25 World Cup decisions are due on Thursday with the sprints of women and men, the title fights started on Wednesday with the qualification of the small cross-country nations and a remarkable double start. Celine Marti from Haiti went into the race over 7.5 km with start number 1. The 45-year-old had started in the slalom and giant slalom two weeks earlier at the Alpine World Cup in Saalbach-Hinterglemm.
Marti, for whom after five alpine world championships the first in the cross -country skiing run, brave bravely and left half a dozen runners behind. At 13:58 minutes behind qualifying winner Chen Lingshuang from China, who was traveling for 22:44 minutes, she clearly missed the move into the “main field” over 10 km next Tuesday.
In addition to Marti, Brazilian Jacqueline Mourao, also 45 years old, protruded as a multi -talent. Mourao has participated in three Olympic Summer games in cycling and five winter games in cross -country skiing and biathlon since 2004. 2014 in Sochi and 2022 in Beijing she was Brazil’s flag bearer.
The World Cup will be officially opened on Wednesday evening on Torvet Platz in downtown Trondheim.