Before the start of the Ski Jumping World Cup in Lillehammer, there is a small question mark behind the German team around Katharina Schmid and Selina Freitag. National coach Maximilian Mechler is no longer part of the team. Can the DSV team build on its old successes with the new coach Thomas Juffinger?
Last winter, the stars of Katharina Schmid, who was still called Althaus at the time, and Selina Freitag really rose. The Oberstdorf native was on the podium eleven times and was unbeatable seven times. The Nordic World Ski Championships became a huge success story. Althaus returned from Planica with three golds and one bronze.
Friday landed on the podium three times. The sister of ex-DSV Adler Richard Freitag can also call herself a two-time world champion (in the team and mixed team).
Juffinger replaces Mechler at least until the end of the season
The “father of success” was national coach Maximilian Mechler. But he is no longer part of the team. After the summer preparation, he surprisingly announced his resignation. He realized that he “The team no longer achieved what was necessary in order to be able to achieve these successes in the future”, the 39-year-old explained his decision. Mechler had been in office since April 2021.
The new man’s name is Thomas Juffinger. He will lead the German team through the winter as interim coach. And at least until the end of the season, as DSV spokesman Ralph Eder confirmed to Sportschau. The association says they want to wait for the season.
Austrian Juffinger himself was a former ski jumper
Previously, Juffinger was Mechler’s assistant coach. He will be supported in his new role as head coach by Gerhard Freudig, Mona Klein and Johannes Petrat from the Bavarian Olympic Training Center. Juffinger cannot look back on a great career as a jumper. The now 30-year-old Austrian jumped in the FIS and Alpine Cups (preparation cups for the actual World Cup) and took part in the Universiade, the World University Games, in 2013. The fact that Juffinger was not able to celebrate any top successes as a jumper is of secondary importance.
Schmid and Friday in good early form
What will be much more important is whether he reaches the team in the same way that Mechler did before him. The latest results give reason for hope, but were still achieved under Mechler’s leadership. Schmid seems to be able to build on her performance from last winter. At least the 27-year-old won the Grand Prix in Klingenthal in October with the mixed team. Together with Friday. The Saxon woman impressed with fifth place on the large hill in Klingenthal.
Who will knock Pinkelnig off the throne?
After her last season, Schmid is definitely one of the favorites to win the overall World Cup. The Austrian Eva Pinkelnig won it last winter ahead of Schmid. The Slovenian Ema Klinec came third. The Norwegian Anna Odine Stroem was also able to attract attention and finished the winter in fourth place. Friday followed in fifth place and wants to continue to improve.
Where the DSV women stand will be shown at the start of the World Cup on Saturday in Lillehammer. Schmid has the jump. Last season she won the first of two competitions. Friday was fourth at the time. The German team could certainly live with a similar outcome at the weekend.